


Sweet Dreams

by TeaBagginsFromtheOak



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Dreams, Drugs, Fighting, I seriously don't know what to tag this, M/M, Porn, Sexual Tension, Tell Me, Yippee, i did it i wrote the sex, i'm not good at AO3, serious make out sessions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-23 03:19:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaBagginsFromtheOak/pseuds/TeaBagginsFromtheOak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What started off with a spiked cup of tea to help Will concur his fears lead to a deeper intrusion on the empath's mind. Will is left bare conscious and unconscious before Hannibal. Could the devil in the details be an angel in disguise? (On hiatus until December)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clarity

**Author's Note:**

> Sweet dreams are made of this  
> Who am I to disagree  
> I travel the world and the seven seas  
> Everybody's looking for something

"This isn't orthodox is it Dr. Lecter?" Will looked suspiciously into the small tea cup that was handed to him. He could feel the heat working its way through the ceramic.

"It's become colder in these winter months. I would hate for my patients to be uncomfortable during our sessions. It would make it especially hard to converse through chattering teeth." He held his own cup in his hands whilst Will continued to stare into the cup. His brow furrowed in concentration and took a small sniff. His face recoiled from the cup and he put it on the nearby table.

"I'm not thirsty." Hannibal continued to stare at the cup for a moment before looking back over at Will. If anyone else rejected his generosity they would be thoroughly slain, but Will was an exception. He put his own cup on the table beside him and leaved forward in his chair in a non-threatening manner. Will took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly before initiating the conversation "I don't appreciate the Copycat's motive." He stood up feeling anxious and Dr. Lecter watched him walk to the stairs.

"Maybe he knows what he is doing is edging you closer to breaking and he does it so that he can have the triumph of being the one who pushed Will Graham to insanity." Will took off his glasses, wiping them on his shirt. He turned to look at the doctor.

"If that's what's driving him then he would be watching me closely. He would know every move I make, every affect that the killings have on me, and he would improve on that." Will said it as though it was venom on his tongue. He put his glasses on his shirt and the psychiatrist calculates his movements. Hannibal stood up and walked over to Will. He stood a few feet in front of him as Will avoided eye contact.

"Serial killers have a pattern. Always the same MO and motive. If his intent is to break you, and changing everything from his last killing to do that, then is that what you would classify as a psychopath?" Will stepped away and walked around the room. Dr. Lecter watched as a predator watched prey. Will was oblivious to the exchange. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"Why me? What connection could I have?" He turned and looked at Hannibal. He eyed him up and down as if the answer was written somewhere on his well tailored body. When he noticed Hannibal doing the same a looked away and paced back to his chair. He felt like his throat was coated in sand and coughed. He guessed the tea might have been a good idea after all. He reached down and grabbed the small glass. He blocked his nose from the tainted smell and drank the whole thing. Hannibal took long strides to catch him as he fell. He moved him to the couch as he lay asleep in his arms. A sly smirk coated Dr. Lecter's face. He walked over to his own cup and sat down before drinking all of it. He put the cup down and Will looked around terrified. "Where did you go?" The fear in his voice was evident. Dr. Lecter stood up and walked over to Will. He put his hands on each shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"Will focus, where are we?" Will was sweating and shaking under Hannibal's vice.

"Baltimore, Maryland." He managed through his shaking.

"What is this place?" Will gulped and looked around.

"Your office." He seemed to calm down a fraction. Hannibal let him go and looked at his watch.

"It's 7:45. You haven't lost any time, Will." He gulped and calmed down to a more reasonable level. He looked around and something struck him odd about the scene.

"When did it start raining?" He walked over to the window and moved the curtain. His heart stopped when he saw what direction the rain was heading. "Since when does it rain upside down?" Dr. Lecter walked calmly over and looked out the window. Will felt anger boil in his veins and make his body hot. He turned to Hannibal and glared at him. "Tell me what's going on?" He demanded on the verge of yelling. Hannibal stood calmly and put his hands behind his back.

"Will, you're hallucinating again." Will bared his teeth in a threatening smile.

"Yea, hallucinating." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I never hallucinate about people who are still living." He removed his hand from his neck and slowly put it out in front of him. He looked from Hannibal to his hands that now lay palm skyward in front of him. He gave a sly grin and shoved Hannibal. Caught by surprise he stumbled back and a brief look of shock fanned across his face. He managed to steady himself as the scenery changed. They were standing in the field where the Copycat's first victim was found. Will looked at the clearing. He could see her body on the stag's antlers. He looked over at Hannibal who had composed himself from the shove. "I'm not hallucinating. I'm dreaming." He said it with almost madness in his voice. "Then why are you here?" He closed his eyes and they were moved back into Hannibal's office. The room was darker and it stopped raining. Will stood stock still when he saw the door open. The nightmare stag walked in and grunted. Despite it being normal temperature in the office air frosted out from the herbivore's nostrils. Hannibal looked over and tilted his head.

"Will, this is your dream. You control what goes on in your mind." Will shook and he could feel the sweat begin to drip from his forehead. The stag stamped at the ground and snorted again. It seemed to notice Hannibal finally and made a growling noise. It twisted its head to and fro in a threatening manner. Will closed his eyes as he heard the feet of the hoofed animal pound on the carpet. With a gasp both Hannibal and Will woke up and shot upright. Will looked around as he shook. He was dripping in sweat and he wrapped his arms around himself. Hannibal looked at Will as he stood up. Will looked at the lounge he was laying on and groaned.

"Is this how you normally wake up from a nightmare?" Hannibal moved to check on his patient.

"You drugged me." Will stopped shaking, but sweat plastered his clothes to his body and made Hannibal wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"No." He looked past will to the lounge. He narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent. "Stay here." Hannibal left and Will had no choice but to stay. He looked at the door and felt his heart beat against his ribcage. His head pounded and he could hear the hoof beats in his head. He pressed his hands to his head and closed his eyes. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and he heard a god awful scream.

"Will." Will put his hands over his ears to get the screaming out of his head. "Will." The voice rang in his head like a scream. A scream that pierced through his skull and shattered his concentration. "Will." Finally it all stopped and he looked up at Hannibal. He was crouched down looking at Will who was huddled on the floor still. Next to him was a towel, a t-shirt – Will never imagined Hannibal in anything other than his suits – and sweat pants – another item Will never imagined the doctor in, but not one he wouldn't like to see – Will shook his head of the image and took a deep breath removing his hands from his ears. "Will, come, you need to be cleaned up." Hannibal reached a hand down and Will took it. He grasped the man's hand tightly as he was lifted up off the floor. Will nodded as Hannibal grabbed the clothes and towel. Will followed mindlessly behind."Clean up, I'll cook dinner while you're busy. We can discuss what happened while we eat." Hannibal led them out of the office.

"What happened was you drugged me." Will snapped.

"No." Hannibal stayed calm despite Will's bristly attitude. Will kept quiet the rest of the way. Hannibal opened the door to the master bathroom and Will shuffled in, not really looking at anything in particular, afraid his face would betray his internal thoughts. Hannibal handed Will the clothes and the towel and left him to his own devices. Will finally looked up and took a deep breath. He glanced around at the lush decorum. Marble counter tops and polished white floor sparkled in the golden light. The cream walls reflected the light to give it a tinted glow. The shower was to Will's right, the tub to the left, and the double sink dead ahead. Will walked forward and set the towel on the rack and the extra clothes on the counter. Will got the illusion of a heavenly aura. Will looked at himself in the mirror and a ghost looked back at him. Their eyes were sunken in and dark around the eye itself. Their skin was pale and could almost be seen through. Their hair was stingy and unkempt. Will opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out. He leaned on the counter and tilted his head. It made the ghost only look more gruesome with sharp, decaying teeth and a sickly looking tongue. Will put his tongue back in his mouth and turn on the cold water. He let it run before throwing it on his face. He looked back up at the reflection, but the ghost was gone. He turned off the faucet and pulled of his shirt. He turned the shower to scalding and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He stepped into the scorching water and thoroughly soaked his body before looking around at the products. He didn't know what he was expecting, but this wasn't it. They were things he would buy. He guessed with the wealth he knew Hannibal had he half expected diamonds. He decided against everything except the body wash. He sniffed it languidly before lathering himself with it. He let the water wash over him for a few minutes before getting out. His muscles still ached as if he had been running, but with the shower most of the knots were gone.

He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He looked in the mirror again and his skin had turned into a reddish hue, but most of all he looked alive. The water ran down his chest, making him shiver. He ran his hand over his face and stopped at his chin. He skimmed his fingers backwards against his chin. He needed to trim it up. He decided to do that when he got home. Will grabbed the marble counter and his knuckles went as white as the island. He rocked on his heels and took a deep breath. The steam fogged up the mirror and he wiped it off with his towel. He hurried to dry off and get dressed. He had to roll up the pant legs a few inches, given that Hannibal was taller than him, but they fit otherwise. The shirt hung loosely on his frame, but he supposed it would work until he got home.

He folded up his towel and cleaned up the little mess he had made, leaving the bathroom as if he had never been there. He held his clothes in hand as he walked down the stairs. The smell of food hit him hard in the stomach. He forgot his hunger during the incident. He walked into the dining room and paused. He creeped his way to the door and carefully opened it. He didn't want to alert Hannibal of his presence. He poked his head through and some of his left side to inspect Hannibal. He watched him work around in the kitchen with an air of serenity. He stood there for a few moments before he was addressed.

"Will, I'm glad to see you're feeling better." Will entered the room completely and shifted the clothes in his hands. Hannibal finally turned around and looked at Will. He shifted his feet looking down at the ground, hiding behind his glasses. Hannibal wiped his hands on his apron and waved Will over. He shuffled over and stood a few feet away from the counter. His hair stuck to his head, but was quickly drying in the heated room. "I can wash those if you'll let me." He walked over to the pan and stirred the food inside.

"No it's alright I'll do it when I get home." Hannibal the ghost of a smile and nodded.

"Good, sit down, dinner will be done shortly." Will nodded and walked out hurriedly. He made his way out into the dining room and looked around. He sat down farthest from the fireplace. He set his dirty clothes in the chair next to him, not knowing what to do with them. He sat down in the chair and squirmed around a little bit before getting comfortable. He always felt underdressed when eating here. Or with the ambiance and placing made him feel like a sacrifice. Before he could dwell on it the sound of footsteps resounded through the dining room. Hannibal looked the length of the table before spotting Will. He walked over and set the food in front of him. Will stared at his plate as Hannibal sat down. "Enjoy." Will picked up his fork and knife and slowly began to cut into the food. He took a few bites before acknowledging his dining partner.

"Why did you drug me?" Will tilted his head towards the doctor, but kept focused on the food.

"I didn't drug you, Will." He looked at Will trying to get him to look at him.

"Then why did I fall asleep?" Will finally looked over at his psychiatrist. His gaze was hard and his face impassive.

"Because that tea was made with silene undulate. Also known as African Dream Root." Hannibal gave an even stare back, but was the first to look away. He cut into his foot, but before he could it to his mouth Will stood up.

"Why?" He looked down at Hannibal with a threatening glare. Hannibal sighed softly and set his fork down.

"I thought that if you had the power to confront your nightmares you might not be so afraid of them anymore." Hannibal looked up with a blank gaze. It was slightly the truth. Just the wrong one. Will stood, still. Hannibal eyed Will up and down and possessiveness consumed him at the sight of Will in his clothes. Will gave a bitter laugh.

"So I guess you don't give tea to all of your patients?" Hannibal gave a small smile.

"No." Will reluctantly sat back down in his chair and finished eating. They ate in silence for the rest of dinner. By the time dessert came around Will felt compelled to ask more questions.

"Does Jack know you're doing this?" Will pushed around the last of his food on his plate.

"No, and I plan on keeping it that way, unless you want me to tell Jack." Will mulled it over in silence. Hannibal stood up and gathered his dishes. He looked at Will for a moment before grabbing his plate. He looked in confusion at the gesture, but eventually put his silverware on the plate. He continued to stare at the place where his plate previously occupied. He took a small breath and could smell his soap on Will; it made him want to growl. He held it back and went back into the kitchen. Once he was gone Will stood up. He walked into the kitchen and stood in front of the counter. Will felt exhausted as if he had been knocked unconscious than sleeping. His energy was drained and all he wanted to do was sleep. He blinked his eyes slowly.

"Don't you ever get tired of cooking?" Dr. Lecter looked over eyeing Will as he moved around to get dessert ready.

"Sometimes, but if I don't cook then I don't eat." Will looked down at the plates he was decorating.

"Oh." Will was too tired to splurge deeper on the subject. Before too long a smaller plate was being handed to him. He took it and took a few bites. His stomach was doing flips and he ran to the trash can before he retched all over the floor. Hannibal walked over and Will coughed, heaving into the trash. "I'm sorry. I swear it wasn't your cooking." He gagged and slumped to the floor. Hannibal handed him a damp wash cloth, "I forget that the dream root has side effects." Will wiped his mouth and grunted. "Why aren't you losing your dinner?" Will mumbled out. He felt weak to the knees and his stomach was still hosting Cirque Du Soleile.

"I've grown immunity to it." Will reached back up to the trash can and dry heaved into the basket. Will managed to stand up, but swayed viciously.

"I need to go." Hannibal looked amusingly at Will.

"You can barely walk." Will tried to stand as if he wasn't bothered by the illness, but he swayed far to the right and ended up back on the floor. He kneeled in front of Hannibal and coughed.

"You did drug me." Will hit the floor before he could hear the reply. Hannibal stooped to look at Will.

"No, Will." Hannibal reached out and picked up the unconscious detective. He was draped over his arms and lying limp against him. His head lulled back, hanging over his arm and his left arm was hanging loosely beside him. Hannibal carried him to one of the guest rooms. Will tossed and turned restlessly in his arms. Setting him down on the bed he put the back of his hand on Will's forehead. He was beginning to sweat. Will moved in jerky motions as he dreamed. Lecter knew he was going to wake up from this sleep, unlike the sleep induced by the Dream Root. He stood up and walked to the bathroom. He grabbed a few towels and put them on the bedside table. When Will woke up he was going to want those. He stared at Will for a few moments in silence minus the occasional groan and grunt from the detective. He turned and left the room silently.

xXx

Will ran past the woods into the clearing. He panted as he heard the ground around him gave away. The tree line was littered with thousands sets of eyes. They stared back at him accusingly. He saw a larger set dead ahead of him and soon the body followed. The stag tossed its head from side to side. He stamped his foot and charged forwards. The eyes around him began to swirl and he tried to turn around. His feet hurt and he was sure he was bleeding from a cut on his leg. He slipped and fell to the ground. Everything slowed down as the stag lowered his head and lifted Will up. His antlers pierced through his skin and out the other side. Blood covered the stag's antlers and dripped down on the ground.

Will tried to scream out, but no noise would escape his mouth. The pain of the antlers in his body made it impossible to move or breath. He could feel blood fill his lungs and he barely managed to breath in regular intervals. The stag nodded his head making Will fall farther into the piercings. With the last of his energy Will looked over and saw the woods parting again. A figure of a human emerged from the dense over growth. Before a face could be determined his vision went black and he felt weightless. His was being raised by an invisible force into oblivion. The pain was gone and the blood dried to his body. He closed his eyes….

Only to wake up with a pounding headache and covered in sweat. He took off his shirt before he looked around. The smell of dogs didn't assault his nostrils when he woke up. The sheets and pillows smelt old and unused rather than of sweat and fear. He looked at the clock to see it was early morning. He blinked and ran his hands over his face. His chest hurt from the dream attack and he looked down to double check he hadn't actually been punctured. He ran a hand over his chest to feel for any wounds. He didn't find any. He looked around and saw a few towels on the bedside table. He grabbed them and they smelt new. He shrugged off the eerie sense and wiped himself down. He took off his pants and scrounged around the room for any clothes. He only managed to find a shirt and he threw it on. He grabbed his glasses that had been set next to the towels last night. His memories of last night were foggy and unclear at best. He remembered eating dinner, then passing out on Lecter's kitchen floor. Everything between was gray. He walked to the door and gave it a test jiggle. The door popped open and he stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. Sound resonated from below and he snuck through the hall and down the stairs. He padded lightly down to where the noise was coming from. He put his ear to the door and listened for a moment. It sounded like the shuffling of paper. He took his ear off and looked around trying to recognize the area of the house.

"Will, you may come in." Lecter's voice sounded from the other side of the door. Will opened the door and stepped cautiously inside. Lecter looked up and bit down on his tongue. Will looked around the room and took a short breath. It looked to be a library, but everything looked like a library in this house. It was full of books and he could hardly tell what room began and the other ended. With the exception of the kitchen and the dining room. Lecter swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to find the words to speak, but he didn't need to as Will walked forward and started the conversation.

"What happened last night? Why am I still here?" Will put his hands on the desk and Lecter leaned back. He smelled of sweat and it made his mind race. Will looked at him expectantly.

"You had an episode and you wanted to drive home. I couldn't let you drive in the condition you were in." He shifted in his seat and Will watched his face searching for something. Any hint of a lie. He hated to lie to Will, especially when he looked like he did in nothing but his shirt and boxers. His hair mussed and his eyes still slightly dulled from sleep.

"So that's how I ended up passed out on the floor in your kitchen?" Lecter didn't trust himself to talk, so he gave a curt nod. Will stood up from the desk and walked away. Lecter's eyes traveled down the length of his body and suppressed a groan. He bit down on his lip and Will couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on him as he walked around. "Where are my clothes?" Will looked down at himself and turned around. Lecter hurried to look back at the drawing he was working on to hide any inkling that he was surveying Will's body.

"I just threw them in the laundry. They should be done within an hour and a half." His mind went blank to the drawing in front of him. He put his pencil down and stood up. He walked over to where Will was running his hand along the spine up the books and he stopped when he heard the sound of padded feet. He looked down at the floor then turned around looking up. Lecter was a few feet from him and looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "How much of last night do you remember?" Will shook his head closing his eyes.

"I remember sitting in our appointment, then," He put a hand on his head trying to remember. He looked at the floor and chewed his lip. "Then dinner and the last thing I remember was lying on your kitchen floor." The doctor nodded and turned away.

"Come with me, I believe breakfast is in store." They made their way to the kitchen and Lecter began to start breakfast.

"Can I help?" Will rolled up the sleeves on the shirt and leaned over the counter.

"I've got this under control; you're welcome to watch." Will nodded, but he hated feeling useless. He looked around and tapped his fingers on the counter. Lecter looked at Will's persistent hands and then at Will. Lecter put the knife he had in his hand down and handed him a two bowls and a few eggs. "Separate those." Will looked at the eggs and then back at the psychiatrist. He grabbed an egg, looking at it carefully, before putting it in one of the bowls. He did the same for the rest alternating between the two bowls. Lecter looked up from his chopping to the bowls. He gave a faint smile and walked around to where Will was standing.

"I don't cook." Will held up his hands in an apologetic stance and the doctor stood beside him. He took the eggs out of the bowls and took one in his hand.

"What I meant by separating was separating the yolk from the white." Will looked sheepishly at the counter and shifted his feet in embarrassment. "Watch." Will looked up and watched the doctor's hands. He cracked the egg, but held it together still, letting the white drip into one bowl. He transferred it from each side of the shell until only the yolk sat in one side. He then put the yolk in the other bowl and threw away the shells. Will watched intently during the whole exchange. Lecter looked down at the detective and gave a smirk. "I presume you can handle it from there." Will nodded avoiding eye contact. Lecter lingered a little while longer before walking back over and finishing his prior job. A comfortable silence fell between the two. Will separated the eggs whilst Lecter chopped and sliced and cooked. Finally Will finished, double checking for shells, and put the bowls on the counter. The doctor picked up the bowl with the yolks and began to whisk them. He held it up flaunting his mastered skill. Will chuckled slightly.

"I didn't know it was breakfast and a show." Hannibal set the bowl down as he finished and eyed Will.

"Nor did I." Will blushed furiously at the implication. He looked down at the counter and tapped his fingers against the surface. He had no words for a while whilst Hannibal moved around the kitchen with practiced ease.

"When will my clothes be done?" Hannibal didn't look over as he stirred the food.

"After breakfast, they should be finished washing. Drying shouldn't take too long after that." Will nodded and took off his glasses. He used the shirt to clean them. "What's on your mind, Will? You seem occupied." Will shrugged and looked somewhere on the floor ahead of him.

"I'm bothered that I lost more time. I hate that I can't remember. One of these days I might hurt someone, but I won't even remember." He began to shake slightly and Hannibal checked breakfast one last time before removing it from the hot burner. He walked around the island and looked stood beside Will who was still facing the inside of the kitchen. He put his hands on the counter to steady himself, but it only made the shaking more prominent.

"You have lost time before?" Will hesitated. After quickly analyzing his options he shook his head yes. "How often do these black outs occur?" Will still hadn't looked over at the doctor. Lecter walked back over to the stove and put on the kettle. Will closed his eyes and shook his head trying to break loose the memories of his black outs.

"They have been happening more frequently." He clenched his teeth.

"That's not what I asked." Lecter walked over to Will and tilting his head to try and look into his eyes, despite them being closed. "How often to these black outs occur?" Will opened his eyes as the tea kettle began to whistle. Lecter grabbed it and got down two tea cups. He grasped the unmarked tea packets and made the tea. He walked around the island and put the cup down next to Will as he tried to answer him.

"I," He looked at the cup. He grabbed it and held it in his hands. "Don't know." He made a sour face, but drank the whole cup, ignoring the scorching liquid that burned a trial down his esophagus. He looked around as the room seemed to darken and he was alone. He panicked and dropped his cup. His breathing became rushed and rapid. He backed away and bumped into someone. Hands were around his shoulders and he fought to get out of them. Memories buried in his subconscious resurfaced and barreled into his mind. "God dammit. You did it again." He closed his eyes and they were transported to Will's house. They sat on the back porch and Lecter let him go. Will stumbled forward and looked out into the clearing that he called his backyard. The sun was still up, but the sky was darkened. It cast long shadows pointing to a point in the middle of the clearing. Will felt fear cloud his vision and he stopped mid step as he walked off the porch. Lecter watched the scene in silent reserve. The chill cut through the slight clothes that Will wore. "You said before that I could control my dreams." He took a deep breath and finished the step. "That I would be able to conquer my fear."

"Dreams are an escape for the mind. A place where the subconscious runs wild and creates the scenarios reality cannot grant us. If you're afraid of your escape then what's the point in living. Once you control something you no longer have the need to fear it." He stayed standing on the back porch. Will continued looking forwards. He walked into the center of the clearing and remembered it from his dream. He looked around as the stag appeared again. Will stood stock still, terrified of what would come next. It charged after him as before, but this time he moved and it slipped right past him. Will opened the eyes he hadn't known he closed and looked around. The stag hadn't missed, no quite the opposite it hit him right where it did before, but this time there were two Wills. One like a shadow replaying the way he died previously and the other well alive and staring in horror at the scene. Living Will stared at his own death until a hand was on his shoulder. He jumped and cried out, from the sudden throw into reality. He was shaking and he turned to look at the hand. He stepped forward into the light and saw Lecter staring back at him as he turned. Will closed his eyes and they were in a forest. The woods were thick and what little light there was barely filtered through the trees. Will looked up searching for the source of the light, but he saw none. The shadows seemed to have mass and moved as Will walked. He didn't know where he was going, but he felt something tug at his soul and lead him thicker into the woodland. The shadows jumped from tree to tree as if they were people and followed Will as if they were connected to him, as his own shadow would be. Silently Lecter followed behind. As Will seemed to walk for hours, eventually he came across a clearing. In the clearing was a pure white tree. It was a stark comparison to the inky blackness around him. Before he could approach Lecter reached out and grabbed Will. "Will, you must wake up now."

"I just want to see something." Lecter still hadn't freed him of his vice. Will began to struggle in Lecter's grasp.

"Will, wake up." His voice didn't rise, but the tone changed. It was stern and made Will stop his struggling. He looked up at the doctor and blinked his eyes as if waking from a dream within a dream.

"What?" Will looked around panicked. Lecter's grip tightened on Will and his right hand slithered its way up his body. Will was taking rapid breaths and struggling again.

"I'm sorry, Will." Lecter's hand clenched on Will's throat and cut off his air supply. Will tussled in Lecter's grasp, but to no avail.

Lecter gave a final squeeze on the detective's trachea and they both woke up before Will's body hit the ground of the forest.


	2. Sarcasm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After going under again Will gets frustrated and doesn't know how to take out his frustration that doesn't lead to either of them naked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You could be the corpse and I could be the killer  
> If I could be the devil, you could be the sinner  
> You could be the drugs and I could be the dealer  
> Everything you say is like music to my ears

Will rasped and gasped for breath. He squirmed on the floor as he fought for air. His nails scratched on the tile of the kitchen and he groaned as the air finally hit his lungs and felt like fire. Lecter decided next time he dosed them he would do it where a couch or chair was readily available. He lifted himself off the kitchen floor as Will coughed and wheezed.

“You killed me.” He scrambled away from Hannibal and only managed to hit the wall. He made whiny noises as his lungs adjusted to breathing regularly again. Lecter sat up slowly not to daze himself. He looked over at Will and ran a hand over the back of his neck. He winced as he felt the muscles knotted and sore. Will pushes aside the unease that makes his stomach do a tilt a whirl at how easily Lecter knew how to kill him. How he could feel his sinewy muscled fingers wrapped around his neck. How they crushed his trachea without any hesitance. The man had been a doctor previously. He knew what saved a man. And what killed one.

“I had to.” He rolled his neck and the pain eased, but still sat dormant at the ends of his nerves. Will’s breathing evened out and made it easier to think clearly.

“Why?” His legs felt weak and he was stiff from lying passed out on the floor.

“Because if you stay too long in that sleep, you fall into a coma.” Will stopped. He looked threateningly at Lecter. He moved to sit in a crouch, testing out his legs.

“You would risk me falling in a coma? For what? An experiment?” Will felt his sanity slipping and he positioned his legs into a springing action. Once Lecter looked back at him from evaluating his sore muscles and joints Will shot forward, launching himself at the doctor. Caught by surprise Lecter had no choice but to follow the motion and fall back on the ground. His head collided thickly with the floor and sent pain shooting through his skull, momentarily making his eyes sightless. Will tussled around trying to free his sprawling limbs from Lecter’s tight grasp. As his eyesight came back slowly he had enough time to see Will throw a misaimed punch. It overshot and sent Will’s weight forward. Will toppled into Lecter and hit his face on the tile. His glasses broke and his head began to pound. Will’s vision was fuzzy from the hit and he took a moment to collect himself. Lecter used that moment to flip the two so Will was pinned beneath Lecter. Will’s glasses were askew and hanging loosely on his face. Lecter grabbed his flailing hands as they reached to grab and attack him. During the process Will’s shirt had ridden up to his neck and exposed a great deal of his alabaster skin. Lecter finally got Will’s hands at his side and used his knees to hold them down.

“Will.” He put his hands on his thighs. Will continued to struggle against his bully.

“Get off!” He screamed and thrashed around. Lecter set his left hand on Will’s chest and Will stopped immediately. His delicious heart – full of adrenaline high blood – beat rapidly against his chest. Will’s breath was rapid and his heart hadn’t slowed in the slightest from the tussle.

“Are you calm yet?” He took deep breaths to even out his own rapid breaths.

“You could have put me in a coma!” Will shouted sitting forwards despite being pinned down. Blood trickled from his split lip from falling and his glasses fell to the floor with a clatter. Will stared at Lecter’s disheveled state and couldn’t resist the pride swelling in his heart. He made the always proper and polite man in front of him into this tangled, unkempt mess. “You killed me in my dream.” His voice lowered and he tilted his head slightly.

“I only did that so you would wake up. What you’re neglecting to remember is I was there as well; we were in the same dream. If you hadn’t have woken up both of us would have fallen into a coma.” He lowered his head to invade Will’s personal space, attempting to get the detective to back down his brave bravado.

“So it was a selfish decision. One made solely on the fact that you would have been victim of my illness as well.” Will stared back evenly. He didn’t want to hide anymore. He’d had enough. “You keep sending me to these dreams to conquer my fear, but you don’t tell me how. Like throwing me into a dark room and giving me a flashlight without any batteries. What good is it?” He yelled the last portion and Lecter reeled back shocked. The emotion was short lived. Lecter’s hand still hadn’t moved from its position on Will’s chest. He gave the smallest of smiles and pressed down on Will’s chest, making him fall back onto the cold tile. Will shivered and thrashed a bit more before retiring his practice. Will’s breath was still labored and his heart beat in his chest, but he was seeing clearer now. He focused on a stray strand of hair that fell into the doctor’s eyes.

“Everyone has an angel, Will. We can't know what form they'll take. One day, old man. Next day, little girl.” Will listened despite the fluttering in his chest. Lecter stared down at him with a placid gaze. “But don't let appearances fool you; they can be as fierce as any dragon. Yet they're not here to fight our battles, but to whisper from our heart.” Lecter felt the steady pump of Will’s heart against his warm palm and took a slow breath. “Reminding that it's us. It’s every one of us who holds power over the world we create. They'll shout through demons if they have to. Daring us, challenging us to fight.” Will’s eyes moved slowly from the strand of hair to the dark auburn orbs that hovered over his azure ones. They looked away when he say the intense gaze that Lecter held on his. “You have all the weapons you need, Will, now fight.” Lecter’s hand pressed slightly down on Will’s chest and he gasped slightly. Hesitantly, Lecter rocked back on his haunches and released Will’s hands. Will threw his head back feeling the tingling sensation shoot through his hands as the blood circulated to his extremities again. Lecter removed his hand from Will’s chest and pulled down the man’s shirt. Will sat on the tile floor for a short while after Lecter stood up. He closed his eyes reveling in Lecter’s words. His hands regained feeling, but he stayed on the floor. His heart stopped racing and the fight or flight mode in his body evened out to its normal level.

“Are you calling yourself an angel, Dr. Lecter?” Will opened his eyes and slowly got off the tile. He stood, swaying only a little as he walked over to the island. Lecter grabbed the food off the pan and looked at the time. They had been asleep almost eight hours. He looked back at the food and thought of the waste.

“Do you see me as an angel, Will?” Lecter took the pan and threw the wasted food in the trash. Will stared at the man in front of him. His broad shoulders moving under the button down with the ease of well cut marble. Lecter’s bones shifted and his skin stretched as Will lost himself in the fantasy. He imagined wings slowly sprouting and unfurling under the skin. They ripped through his tailored shirt and snapped open. They knocked into the walls and pushed through with immeasurable strength. Pots and pans fell off the walls as they shook behind him. A few feathers fell to the ground. They were black and shown like a raven’s. Purple, blue, and green moved in the light against the feathers. They were dirty and worn, broken and torn. Black ichor dripped onto the floor as thick as sugar. Broken feathers jutted out at odd angles and his downs stuck together in oozing clumps. His eyes moved to look at the top of his head. No light shown there. No halo. None, except the halo of antlers. They were faint and hovering over his head. They were as black as his wings. Lecter turned around at the silence and Will stared at the bruises and cuts littering the psychiatrist’s face and revealed skin.

“No,” Lecter walked forward, his broken and battered wings curling to fold back neatly against the doctor’s body. “Not an angel. You’ve fallen a long way, Lecter.” Will continued to watch as he walked closer and they stood directly across each other. One on each end of the island. Ichor continued to run down Lecter’s body and hit the floor in thick drips. Will walked around the island and Lecter’s head followed him. Will put a hand up to touch the doctor’s back. He could feel the heat from the wings radiating off of him. The wounds bleeding onto his hands. His wings shifted under his touch and Will twirled a feather in his fingers. Lecter watched interested in what he had sparked in the detective. Will removed his hand from Lecter’s back and looked at his face. His eyes focused on the bridge of his nose. He could see the outlines of cuts and blood flowed at a steady pace from a wound on the doctor’s cheek. Will stared sightlessly at Lecter’s face.

“What do you see, Will?” Will blinked and the vision was gone, but he still had the feeling of Lecter’s wings in between his fingers. Will shook his head as he heard noise coming from within the house. Will stared, his eyes sightless, as they focused on a cut on Dr. Lecter’s brow. It cut the skin above his eyelid and blood dripped down the side of his face. More cuts appeared across the doctor’s face. They were carved here and there on the marble skin. Will looked down at the other man’s chest and blood began to pool between his ribs. It dripped onto the clean floor and the noise from within the house got louder. Will slowly looked over to the door leading to the dining room and feathers fell through the crack under the door. Will moved to stand in front of Lecter.

“You may be here to whisper from my heart, but my mind controls this world.” The stag appeared and tossed his head back. The antlers grew and stabbed at the roof. They broke through making it rain plaster and paint. Will felt rage consume his heart as he watched the stag twist its head side to side causing more damage to the doctor’s house. Before much more could happen Will felt those same wings wrapping around his body. Blood began to drip onto his skin and heat radiated off of the wings, into his own skin making him feverish. Lecter’s front was plastered to Will’s back and Will felt the heat increase. The wings pressed themselves to Will tighter and he trembled as he began to sweat. The stag sensed the change in Will and stomped his feet. “I won’t let you hurt anyone anymore!” Will screamed at the stag and it staggered. It was as if Will shot it instead of yelling at it. Will felt reassuring arms around him and he felt strength worm it’s way through him. “You don’t scare me anymore.” His voice was low, but the stag seemed to hear it. Will gently shrugged off the wings and arms and walked forward. He reached out and touched the stag’s nose. It convulsed and a shiver passed through it. The shiver seemed to be made of scales and they moved like a wave off of the stag’s skin and fell to the ground behind it.

It was still for a moment before it shook once and the feathers and black fur was shed off. In place was purity. The white stag stood where the previous one was. Its hooves glistened like onyx. Its white fur was soft like fleece and the skin was pleasantly warm. The snow white fur gleaned in the little light it seemed to radiate. His antlers were a lovely white. They looked to be made of tree bark rather than bone. They were wide and fanned out across the full length of the wall. Whatever damage the other stag caused was mended with the slight toss of its pure white head. Will put his other hand on the neck of the beast and rubbed the hand that was on the nose softly in the fur. Will looked into the beast’s eyes and saw the slight flickering. Despite its pure form darkness still lurched behind the slight barrier of the stag’s eyes. Will pulled back slightly and the image flickered for a moment. The pure white was turned back into the dirtied form of the nightmare stag. Will realized that the stag didn’t change at all it just showed a different face. It was the other half to the whole. The tails to the quarter’s head. Flowers and wines seemed to be woven into the antlers. They dropped down in an elegant way and tickled the top of Will’s head. The stag nudged his head into Will and Will backed up just enough to let it have room to move its massive head. I kneeled down and bowed its head once before standing up and snorting.

“Will.” The soft voice made Will turn around to Dr. Lecter. His wings were bent behind him and his arms placed at his sides. “Will.” He called again, but his lips didn’t move. Will stepped forward and pain shot through him. He closed his eyes and when he opened them he was sitting in a car. His head was against the window and a blanket wrapped around him. He shot up in hysterics and a hand shot out to his chest. “Will, we are at your home. I took you home after we ate. Do you remember that?” Will looked around and panted.

“No.” Lecter gave him a look before getting out of the car and quickly making it to the other side. He opened Will’s door and reached over to unbuckle him. Once he was done he crouched down outside the door and looked at Will.

“What do you remember?” Barking came from inside the house as the dogs could sense the arrival of their master.

“You asked me if I saw you as an angel. Then I am hallucinating again.” He looks the doctor in the eye and realizes what he’s doing and looks away.

“You were talking during the car ride.” Will’s head shot up. He reached a hand up to run across his forehead. It was sticky with dried sweat and he rubbed it on his pants. He felt nervous at the prospect that someone had heard anything he said, and that he couldn’t remember if he said them or not. He knew he talked during these points of blackness – Jack had told him he seemed out of it, but didn’t suspect anything of it due to his nature – but he never had anyone paying enough attention to hear it.

“What did I say?” He unconsciously adjusted his glasses and looked out over the doctor’s shoulder, into the darkened forest beyond. He could faintly hear the animals in the distance as they came out of their day hide outs. Bats began to fly over head in the twilight horizon. Black streaks firing past the orange rays. Indigo inked into the sun kissed sky and fought over the rights for the sky. Will was nervous to find out what he said in his unconscious stupor.

“’He’s mine’.” Will chewed on his lip. He didn’t look anywhere, but the steadily growing darkness on the horizon. What he thought earlier was a battle twisted in his mind as he watched the inky blackness consume wholly the lasting rays of the sun. Each night the sun dipped below the skyline, so only then may the moon rise, for the moon reflected the sun’s light. Brought to life from the death of another. It was a love story about sacrifice and persistence, for every day the sun continued to rise while it knew twelve hours later it must die again to give life to the moon. Then to wait for that one occurrence where both, the sun and the moon, shared the same sky. Meeting once then to part ways and not meet for years. “Who’s yours, Will?” Will snapped out of his daydream and shook his head slightly. He hesitated before executing his plan of attack. His eyes flickered over Lecter’s face, but always returned to the, now, night sky. He continued to chew on his bottom lip. Will watched as the stars winked into existence. He shouldn’t say ‘into existence’, for they were always there, but they weren’t seen through the sun’s devouring light. Maybe it was a story of greed.

The sun consumed the sky for twelve hours then continued to shine through the moon, always the sun shone. In one form or another. The stars are always there, but never visible until their companion, the moon, shined through into the night sky. But still the sun had its influence. Will eventually looked back at Lecter and held his gaze. Like the moon he was calm and gleamed in the soft light. His face half shadowed as the light stroked his features like a lover. Will reflected to himself. Was he the sun? Was he constant and giving? Always willing to let the moon live in his light even after he has fallen into the darkness. Was he the sun to Hannibal’s moon? Will saw himself in the maroon pupils that stared evenly back at him. He saw his cerulean eyes melting into the burgundy that claimed Hannibal’s eyes. Will gave a humorless laugh.

“I’m not afraid anymore.” He avoided the doctor’s earlier question. His smile was joyless.

“What aren’t you afraid of?” He shifted his feet, but continued to stare back at Will

“The stag.” Tentatively, as one would do with a stray dog, Hannibal reached out to Will. Will looked at the other man’s hand and his eyes sparked for a moment before dulling again.

“It’s getting rather cold outside, you’re house looks rather inviting, don’t you say?” Will looked quickly at the doctor sitting in front of him before ignoring his hand and getting up out of the car. He belatedly realizes there is a blanket around him as it falls in the car. The wings, he thinks. His legs wobble from sitting so long and he almost falls, weren’t it for Hannibal standing there to catch him. He lifts the slight man to his feet and Will leans heavily on him. Hannibal shuts the door as they slowly make their way to the house. Will’s legs gain strength the closer they get to the front door. Will leans off of Hannibal to unlock and open the door. The moment he walks in the dogs rush to his feet and whine. When they see he has company they silence themselves, but stay near Will.

“I’ll get some coffee.” He lets Hannibal in and is surprised to see him reach down to softly pet Serenity on the head. The shepherd sneezes, but doesn’t bark. Will is thankful for that. Will walks into the kitchen and looks around for the coffee. Once he finds it he begins to spoon it into the filter. Once that task is finished he grabs a pitcher and fills it with water, once full, puts the water in the chamber. He puts the pitcher away and starts the coffee. He watches it as it pops and whirs. The old machine hacks a bit before the liquid caffeine can fill up the pot. He watches the brown liquid as it pours itself into the pot before deciding there was a reasonable amount in there and grabs two coffee cups. He fills them up and looks at Hannibal for directions further. He shakes his head and Will hands him his cup. Their fingers brush slightly and Will is sure Lecter made sure that happened. It still didn’t constitute the shock of electricity to shoot through his hand to the very ends of his toes. He was sure his hair was standing on end as his heart hammered in his chest. It was like being struck by lightning. Jolting straight down to your bones, but with lightning came heat. It soared through your body until no nook or cranny was untouched by its scorching touch. Will took a sip of his coffee before trudging forward on the conversation. He looks at the floor as he leans back on the counter with the ceramic cup in his hands.

“Have you always been afraid of this stag?” Will rubs a hand behind his neck. He never did feel scared. He felt confused and cautious mostly. The feeling you get when you stumble upon a stray dog. You don’t know their intention until they show their teeth. The stag never posed a threat to him; it never came to a point of life or death, until the other night. He doesn’t know what grounds the stag had for the change. Maybe Will had his hand out for too long and the stag showed its teeth.

“No?” Will sounded unsettled.

“Then if you were never afraid of it to begin with, what made you believe you were unafraid of it now?” Will made a face of pain as he gripped tighter on his coffee cup.

“Maybe that’s what I was feeling then, but I don’t think the fear was targeted towards the stag. I think it was targeted towards the effect. I was afraid of what it was going to do or what it meant, not what it was.” Will took a sip of coffee and the bitter taste did nothing to quench the qualm in his stomach.

“What possessed you to conquer your fear, Will?” Will reached out slowly. He imagined it was standing in front of him again in all its glory and purity.

“I touched it. It shed its skin as if it were merely a suit. It turned into a great white stag. It healed instead of destroyed. It brightened the room instead of darkening it, but it still had the other stag there. It was as if I was seeing two sides of the same coin.” Will closed his open hand and looked over at Hannibal. They stared at each other a long moment before either of them said anything. It was a tense silence as Will fought to comprehend what the stag meant. “Am I the sun?” Lecter took a slow sip of coffee before answering.

“You are fire, Will. You can be a roaring blaze or a smoldering ember. Your change is effected by the elements around you. Fire can create, but it can also destroy.” Will put his hand down and he averted his eyes to somewhere on the doctor’s chest. He counted the stripes on his dark red tie. “Do you want to be the sun, Will?” The way his voice caressed his name was almost missed by Will’s ears. A wave of something washed over him and he couldn’t tell if it was relief or tranquility. It could have been a mix of both. Will was sideswiped by the presence Lecter had when he was near. It was soothing, like none other he’d felt with other people.

“No. The sun is constant. I flicker.” He scratched his stubbly nails against the counter. Will was uncomfortable with how he was always so comfortable around the doctor. He didn’t like that he fell too easily to the other man’s charm.

“It takes seven minutes for the sun’s light to reach Earth. For seven minutes we wouldn’t even know that the sun burned out. Seven minutes is all we would have before the end of humanity as we know it. That is why, Will, you are not the sun.” Will set his coffee cup down and took careful steps forward. He stood a few steps away from the psychiatrist. His eyes roamed the suit clad chest in front of him. He furrowed his brow in concentration as he mouthed the color of the pocket square Dr. Lecter wore. He felt a fizzling energy in the room as he got closer. He could feel it in his bones, too. It pumped through his veins as a liquid and tensed his muscles in anticipation. His eyes shot to look around Lecter’s face, avoiding his eyes. He took in all the fine details, the height of his cheekbones, the blonde, but slightly hued colored hair, his defined nose. Will licked his lips thoughtlessly and took a shallow breath.

“He’s mine.” Will whispered. He tried to recall the image in his mind. Recall why he said that, or better yet who he said it about. Will tapped his fingers on the counter top. His glances flickered between the floor and Dr. Lecter’s tie. Will felt something bubbling up through him. It made his heart rate increase and made him antsy to move around. “Did you,” He licks his lips nervously again. “Bring any of that tea?” Will dared a glance at his eyes and regretted it. His palms got sweaty and he hurried to look away.

“I left it in the car. I’ll get it if you so wish.” Will nodded his head and looked away as Lecter walked away from the kitchen, outside. Will grabbed the coffee cups and poured out what was left. He put the kettle on the fire and gets two more coffee cups. He didn’t have tea cup. He hardly ever drank tea. When you wake up constantly having had little to no sleep, coffee is your best friend. By the time Lecter came back with a small bag the water was whistling. Will took it off the fire and pours some hot water into the cups. His hands were shaking slightly and it caused the water to spill out over the first cup. He hadn’t realized he was shaking so bad until Lecter walked over and put a hand on his arm. It stopped him from putting more water into the already full cup. Will tensed as Lecter’s hand trailed down to grab his wrist. He relaxed when it reached the kettle handle and took it from his grasp. Will could feel the suited body pressed flush against his back. He ignored the electrical impulses it sent throughout his body. Lecter poured the other cup and put the tea in. He walked away to put the kettle on the stove as if nothing had happened. Will felt his knees go weak and he used the counter to support him. Will grabbed the two coffee cups of tea and walked to the couch. He sat down and he was soon followed by Lecter. They sat on either side of the couch. Only a cushion between them.

“I want to show you something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support I will have a somewhat smexy chapter next thank you again for the support.


	3. Flesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal try and figure out what this is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Push up to my body, sink your teeth into my flesh  
> Get undressed, ta-taste the flesh  
> Bite into me harder, sink your teeth into my flesh  
> Pass the test, ta-taste the flesh

Will handed Lecter his cup, but his eyes never left the steaming liquid in the shaped porcelain. He took a deep breath and drank the tea, ignoring the odd smell and the scorching heat. He set the cup down on the table there and stood up. Lecter did the same and Will stood up. He clenched his fists at his sides and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes in concentration and soon he could hear the hoof steps of the stag. He opened his eyes and looked over to the kitchen. The stag stood, he shook his head and the image flickered with each shake. From purity to corruption. It was always there, always lurking in the recesses of the white stag’s shadow. Lecter stood up and Will could see the shift of his wings underneath the well tailored suit. Will wondered if he could feel it. Lecter looked at the stag and the stag stood straighter as it approached the challenger. They walked to each other slowly. They stopped when they were about a foot apart.  


The stag snorted and tossed its head back. It stomped its foot and looked back at Lecter. Will watched as Lecter’s wings unfurled and snapped open. The sound of ripping fabric and rustling feathers filled the room. 

Lecter didn’t even look back as the black masses blocked Will from the stag. He wasn’t bleeding anymore, but Will could see the scars left on his wings. His wings glistened in the light emanating from the stag. The purples, greens, and blues flashed in the light and lured Will closer. He walked forward until he could touch the wings. They were softer than they looked. They were like silk under his touch. Lecter tucked in his wings and turned around to Will. Will’s lips were slightly parted as he watched him look him up and down.  


“Do you see, Will?” Lecter broke the dense silence. Will felt something on his back and he shook his shoulders to get it off. It didn’t go away. He rolled his shoulders and he felt something pop. His bones moved and rearticulated as he shook out the tense feeling. When he felt a weight against his shoulders he dared to move it. They snapped open and he marveled in the sight. They were as white as the stag’s fur – whom of which had disappeared – and they illuminated light. He shifted them and he saw the black lining underneath. He snapped his head forward to look at Lecter and he shuffled his wings. Will could see the white under line beneath the blackness.

Will put the pieces together and he took a sharp breath. His body tingled to be touched and he closed his eyes tight. He could hear the soft footsteps and feel the darkness that he represented get closer. It wasn’t suffocating as Will would have thought. It was the darkness that came along with the stars. It was complementing to Will’s light. A soft touch the right side of his face made warmth trickle around the touch and drip throughout his body. Will took a shaky breath and when he opened his eyes again he was lying against Lecter.  


His head was on the other man’s flank and his body was curled up against him. Will could hear Lecter breathing against him. He looked up daring a glance and saw the piercing brown eyes gaze back at him. He felt shivers run down his spine and he took a deep breath. The other man’s cologne filled his lungs and made his head spin. Will gulped despite his dry throat. He could hear his heart roaring in his ears. Wherever the other man’s body touched felt like he was being softly pricked with electric currents. I made the hair on his arms stand up as he slowly moved out from under Lecter and maneuvered so that his legs were entangled with Lecter’s and his chest was hovering over the psychiatrist’s. Lecter didn’t make a move to reject the new placement they found themselves in. Will’s hair fell in his eyes and impaired his vision. His glasses had been discarded and he reminded himself to go to the optometrist for new ones, given the time. There was a tense silence before Will found himself leaning in. Their faces were inches apart before Will stopped. His eyes looked everywhere, but the brown orbs reflecting his dilated pupils.  


Before Will had to time to react a warm hand ran in his hair and pulling him down the last few breaths distance and supple lips were pressed to his. He closed his eyes and revealed in the sensation. Nails softly dug into his scalp and he involuntarily arched his back. He broke away to gasp and a smile grazed upon Lecter’s lips. Will hummed in the back of his throat and hurried to kiss the smug look off his face. His right hand moved to cup the back of Hannibal’s head and grabbed onto the hair there. He pulled his head back slightly and deepened the kiss. Will ran his tongue on the edge of Hannibal’s bottom lip, almost begging for entrance. Hannibal’s other hand shot up to softly kneed his nails into Will’s back.  


Will groaned deep in his throat and he could feel the appeal it had on the older man. He moved his legs so he was lying between Hannibal’s thighs and a sputtered groan was the reply. Will brazenly ground his hips into Hannibal and he earned a sharp nip on his bottom lip for the action. Will’s free hand moved to rest on Hannibal’s chest. Exactly where he had earlier during their tussle. He pressed down gently and he broke away with a sly smirk. This time he reciprocated the intense gaze that was analyzing him. Will ran his hand through Hannibal’s hair and tousled it. He felt the same pride as he did during their scuffle in the kitchen. Hannibal increased his pressure on Will’s hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck and the alabaster skin there. Will gasped and wantonly thrust his hips into Hannibal. Hannibal arched up and began lave Will’s neck with open mouthed kisses. Will panted with the effort to restrain himself.  


Will turned his head slightly, so that his mouth collided with Hannibal’s and he freed his hands to unbutton Hannibal’s jacket and shuck it off his shoulders. He hurried to get through the vest and the shirt. Once the man below him was bare-chested his hands roamed the expanse of the slightly toned skin. Will broke away to gasp as Hannibal’s free hand began to pull at his tucked in shirt. When the cool breeze left gooseflesh on Will’s stomach he halted all his movements.  


He untangled himself from Hannibal and got to his feet. He legs were weak from the encounter and he stumbled to the floor a few times before he managed his escape and bolted up the flight of stairs, slamming his bedroom door. Hannibal lay in a daze. He looked over the arm of the couch up the stairs for a long moment. He waited for Will to come back down, when it was apparent he had no intention of doing so, Hannibal shook his head softly and stood up like a drunkard. His legs woozy and mind addled. He buttoned up his shirt and looked around for the other attachments to his attire. They were strewn on the floor, covered in dog hair, and he decided against wearing them again. He looked up the stairs one last time, knowing that if he chased Will he would only run farther from Hannibal this time, before walking out silently and heading to his car. As he started the engine he shook his head softly again and putting the car into gear.  


xXx  


Will slid down the door. He curled up in the fetal position. He tucked his face into his knees and took shallow breaths. His brain whorled with the memories of what just happened. He couldn’t believe what he just did. He shook his head in his knees and a wet nose made itself apparent on his elbow. He looked up and Casey was whining at him. He pets her white, black, and brown head. She stopped whining, but moved to curl up at his side. He continued to pet her as he tried to calm himself down. His phone rang and he tensed. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was Jack. For once he was relieved. It wasn’t the aspect of a new murder, but of something to get his mind off the whirlwind it had been on since he ran up the stairs. He listened outside and could hear a car start up and drive away. It wasn’t fast, but he felt the need for a talk. 

Soon. But not too soon. He counted off the days in his head until his next appointment with Hannibal.  


“Will. I need you down here right away.” Will rubbed his face before standing.  


“Alright.” Jack gave him the address and hung up. Will looked down at Cashew as she looked up at him and pet her head one last time before opening the door and heading outside. He got in his car and started it up. He checked his waist for his gun and holster before peeling out of the driveway and heading to West Virginia.  


xXx  


The lights blared on the grotesque body. It hung from the tree, suspended by rope. It swayed in the wind and techs moved around it placing cards, or writing down the descriptions. The eyes only black holes, staring sightlessly into space. The mouth open and tongue missing. It was stuck in a silent scream for help. The ears removed and placed in the pockets of the victim. Either for storage or an ulterior meaning. A lone crow landed on the body and pecked at the non-existent eye. Someone waved it away and it gave a morbid caw before flying off into the clouded night. Beverly and Zeller stood together sipping their steaming cup of coffee. The steam dancing through the air into their faces. Beverly shook her head and mumbled nonsense around the cup. The body’s hair had been cut off and littered around the space below the body. Naked except for the words painted in blood on their torso. It read ‘Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil’. The torso was cut open then sutured back together, crudely. Price was looking around the body, careful not to move any of the hair, and cataloging the injuries. A lone drop of blood dripped onto the ground as Will arrived. He looked at the body and rubbed his face. He took two ibuprofens dry and walked over to stand by Beverly. She looked over at him and eyed his condition. His lips were slightly swollen and his eyes were dilated. His glasses were broken and he pushed them up onto his face constantly. He looked jittery – well, more than normal – he kept looking around, as if expecting to see someone. He also had the tell tale signs of guilt. She put her coffee in her right hand and used her left hand to gently put a hand on his upper arm.  


“Hey, you don’t look so good.” He gave a weak smile and rubbed a hand along his jaw. She noticed he only tensed a little when she set her hand on his arm. She could feel under the coat though he was shivering slightly. “Are you sure you’re alright?” He finally looked over, but looked at her coffee.  


“Sure, I’ll be fine.” He turned his head and looked over into the am sky. Beverly was hesitant to take her hand off of his arm. She eventually did when Price came back and sighed.  


“I’m getting really tired of the psychos.” He put his pen on his clipboard and set it under his arm. Zeller held out Price’s coffee cup and the other man took it graciously. “She doesn’t have any items on her, so we managed to rule out possible ID from credit cards or wallet. It looks like whoever killed her burned off her prints. From the looks of it she was still alive when the burns happened. My only hope is to get a dental analysis on her. But for now Jane Doe doesn’t exist.” Beverly nodded and took a sip of her coffee. The sound of a car door shutting filled the cool night air and Will jumped. Beverly watched as he looked behind him and saw it was only Jack. He relaxed, but only slightly. Jack came up from behind Will and looked at the scene. He then looked at Will.  


“You ready, Will.” It was a statement, not a question. Will had no choice but to nod. Jack made a signal and everyone cleared out. Beverly took a few steps, but watched Will carefully. She stood by the car and leaned on the hood. Someone humphed, but she shrugged it off. She took a sip of her coffee as Will’s fingers began to twitch. His head turned slightly from side to side as if hearing something. Price came by and mumbled something under his breath. Beverly looked around him to look at Will. His hand was in the air and creating images only he could see. He jerked violently before taking a deep breath. He turned on his heel and walked briskly away. His lips were moving; it looked to be in the same pattern of words. She set her coffee on the fender of the car and followed him. She jogged to catch up. Before he moved to open his car door she slipped between his hand and the handle. She crossed her arms and glared at him.  


“I’m not one to accept being lied to, but I’ll make an exception to you.” She had a raised eyebrow as she waited for his response. He moved his glasses yet again – which had fallen almost, all the way off during his reconstruction – and avoided her gaze. “Your glasses are broken, which means there was confrontation. You have a bit of a goose egg on your forehead meaning you got hit. Will, I’m serious when I ask if you are alright. I want to know you’re safe.” He finally took his glasses off and the frame creaked eerily. “Did you get into a fight?” He gave a sad laugh.  


“You could say that.” He wrung his hands out on his clothes and looked down at Beverly’s shoes. He cleaned his glasses to focus on something.  


“Well at least tell me you won.” She huffed and leaned against his car. He gave a pathetic laugh and breathed on his glasses.  


“Depends on your definition of won. I managed to travel to the dark recesses of my mind, which incidentally caused me to sleep for eight hours, I almost fell into a coma, got into a fist fight with my psychiatrist, lose more time, and nearly ravish the one person who is trying to help me on my living room couch. Sound like the game plan of a winner?” He said a little flustered. He didn’t know what to expect as her reaction, but he expected at least some sort of reaction. Beverly stared at him for a long moment before moving aside, pushing him back gently to open his door, and left him to get into the car on his own. Not a word was exchanged as she did so.  


Will rubbed his face. He didn’t know why he retold the past twenty four or forty eight hours – frankly it was hard for him to keep time when it kept slipping away from you – to Beverly. It was nobody’s business but his own. He got into his car and put his head on the steering wheel. He shut his door and closed his eyes until minutes – or hours – later there was a tapping on the window. He jumped slightly and dared to look over. It was Jack, he had a scowl on his face and moved as Will opened his door.  


“What were you thinking?” Will hesitated as he got out of the car.  


“About the murder?” He squinted and looked at a piece of lint that had been attached to his sleeve.  


“No, the weather, Will where are you right now because it sure as hell ain’t here.” His voice was rising slightly. Will flinched and looked around at the scene. A few people looked over, but quickly looked away when they saw who he was talking to. Will kept the answer to himself, afraid of what might spill out. “Fine, just tell me what you saw.” Jack turned on his heel. Will didn’t want to, but he knew he didn’t have any choice but to follow. The bedraggled leaves sagged under his foot. A few clung to the bottom of his foot as he walked back towards the crime scene. He could feel eyes on his back and he shrugged as if to shake them off. Jack stopped just before the scene and Will stood behind him. Jack looked back, giving him a look as if to explain.  


“He’s protesting and taunting. You can’t hear the screams that he cried, he can’t scream for help, and now he can’t see his killer. This woman was probably a ‘sinner’ in his eyes.” Will prattled on.  


“Until I can get her into the lab, she is no one right now.” Price clicked his pen and walked to the car.  


“Is it good to load up?” Will nodded. His job was done here; all he wanted to do was go home. He could see dawn break over the horizon. He hummed at the thought that hours earlier he was watching it set. He shivered as his mind raced past those events and lingered at the same time. He turned and went to his car. “Will, I need you back at Quantico.” Will sighed and nodded. His eyes drooped as he walked to his car. He slid into his car and blinks a few dozen times before starting up his car and peeling out of the road they made to get to the crime scene. He doesn’t slow down, even after he gets onto the highway.  


xXx  


The days passed in a blur of blood and starlight; after four more had been killed Jack was desperate to catch the killer. Will hadn’t left Richmond for more than an hour to feed his dogs every day and take a shower, which he hadn’t done in two days. He and Beverly and Price and Zeller were cooped up in an overly air conditioned room with one table between the four of them. Will’s distracted mind kept flitting between the murder and the scene on the couch. He shifted in his seat and Beverly looked over at him; she had been doing that a lot since his confession. She hadn’t said anything to a certain extent. Will couldn’t focus on the killer when he closed his eyes. He only managed to throw himself back into that scenario. He hadn’t gotten much sleep besides the short, perturbed naps he had when his head hit the table, scattering the evidence. Many times Brian went to get coffee while Jimmy served up fast food meals. Will looked over at his watch again and stretched. His back popped and his broken glasses fell off his face, again. Beverly grabbed them and handed them to him. He nodded his head and stood up.  


“I have to go; I’ll be back…..sometime.” Is what he thought he said, but from the odd energy change in the room and curious stares he was getting from the group he think he said something different, or something incoherent. He opened the door and walked out rubbing his face. He continued like a zombie all the way to his car, where he proceeded to drive in the same out of body state. The city of Baltimore passed through in bedim of continuous lights. When he pulled up in the drive way he stopped. His hand was on the door handle and he took a deep breath. His fingers gripped and flexed on the cooling metal. His mind wandered as he debated going to his meeting. He growled at himself for being a child and flung the door open.  


He shut it and walked head down to the front door. He walked in and continued to the waiting room. He sat down with a rough sigh in one of the chairs. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and tucked his chin into his chest. He could faintly hear voices on the other side of the door. He looked at his watch. By the time the door opened it was 7:34. He looked up from his watch to see the psychiatrist and saw an emotion flicker across his face, but it was too fast to label before it was gone. Will stood up and Lecter moved aside to let the younger man in. Not a word was exchanged as they both sat down in their respected seat. The silence continued to grow until you could almost suffocate from it. Will thought that hours had passed; he could see the sun, outside the cracked window, set behind the buildings nearby. It was Will who broke the silence.  


“I’m sorry,” he looked for words, “For my outburst the other night.” He looked at the purple square that was folded impeccably into the small breast pocket.  


“You were under a lot of emotional stress. I can see how it was a rash decision to release the pent up tension.” His voice was even and it made Will’s mind race. He shifted nervously in his seat. He crossed and uncrossed his legs. His throat went dry as he thought about his next words.  


“What if,” he swallowed and leant forward. “I didn’t want it to be rash?” His eyes wandered the floor; he counted the threads as he waited for the reply. There was the shuffling of clothes and before too long a hand was held out at the edge of Will’s vision. He looked at the hand before a brief flick to the owner’s eyes. He looked down at Will with a piercing gaze that oddly didn’t leave Will feeling bare before him. Will finally grabbed his hand and was surprised to be pulled up. His two day old clothes clashed with the other man’s crisp suit. Will shivered inwardly. It ran up his spine and sent the hairs on the back of his neck shooting up. His body was calescent to Hannibal’s gelid one. His hand moved from where it was interlocked with Will’s to his lower back. Hannibal leaned forward until they were breaths apart. Will lidded his eyes and his mouth went dry. He could feel the arousal stirring in his body and he inwardly groaned.  


“I don’t like to be left unsatisfied, Will.” The tone in his voice turned possessive towards the end. Will shuddered and his breathing went ragged. He resisted the urge to close the distance. Hannibal’s hand traveled down Will’s lower back to his buttocks and gave light squeeze. Will’s eyes shot open and he moved up with a start. A strangled moan was suffocated by Hannibal’s lips. Will’s eyelids fluttered to a close as Hannibal used the moan as an invitation to slide his tongue into the other man’s mouth. Will recovered from his shock and his hands shot out to get a hold on the doctor’s suit. It wrinkled under his fingertips and he hardened further. Will sucked and nipped at the intruding tongue in his mouth. He could feel the other man’s blatant approval of the action.  


As soon as the action became apparent it was gone. Hannibal detangled himself from Will and turned to leave. “Come, Will, I have dinner prepared. I figured you would be staying for an extended amount of time tonight.” Will groaned and panted at the loss of contact. He wanted to say something to get him to come back, but his tongue was thick from the kiss and his mind sluggish. He stumbled a bit and it took until Hannibal had left the room for Will to take his first few steps. He took slow steps to the door until he was able to use the complete motion of his legs. Will shook his head slightly and hummed deep in his throat. He hated this torment. He decided if Hannibal wasn’t going to follow through, than he will. He walked out of the office to the kitchen. Once inside he was that Lecter was dressed in his apron and his jacket, and vest, leaving him in his white shirt and black slacks. His white sleeves were rolled up, so they wouldn’t get dirty. Will shifted his feet and looked at the ground when he saw Lecter look up.  


“What are we having?” Will looked at the pan Lecter was currently stirring.  


“Traditional Osso Buco.” Hannibal gave a small smirk as he described the meal. The young twenty year old who mocked an older woman for being slow simmered in the pan. He basted her liver with the beef stock. Hannibal closed his eyes as he smelt the blood splatter across the wall and the sounds of her startled scream. Again he used his scalpel to slice at her abdomen as she lost blood from the deep gash on her femoral artery. The sound of the blood dripping into the large bucket could be heard in the small room. Soon her struggling ceased and her breaths halted. Her liver was his along with her life. What seemed like hours was mere seconds, but enough to miss the question Will imposed. Hannibal opened his eyes and looked into Will’s expectant eyes. “I’m sorry; I seem to have been addled-minded, would you care to repeat the question?” He continued to watch Will, even when the brunette turned his head.  


“I said ‘I hadn’t had veal in a long time’.” Will took a short breath, glad that Hannibal hadn’t been paying attention, so he didn’t catch his question. “Do you need any help?” Will looked at the pan as it roasted the veal.  


“As a matter of fact, I do.” The doctor moved to the fridge. He grabbed walnuts, lettuce, spinach, cranberries, a pomegranate, a glass bottle with a raspberry color liquid in it, and blueberries. He put them on the counter away from the meat and grabbed a medium size bowl. “The salad is yours to create.” He moved a hand to motion to that side of the counter. When Will began to walk over Hannibal reached back into the fridge and grabbed a bushel of parsley and a lemon. He heard Will turn on the faucet and wash his hands. Once he was done he reached around Will and grabbed a bulb of garlic. Will tensed as he felt the other man’s arm body brush against his. After a second of hesitation and a small inhale Hannibal moved away. He smelt him again. Will couldn’t find himself to be mad. Hannibal removed a clove from the bulb and laid it flat on the cutting board. He used the flat side of his blade to crush it, just enough for the skin to peel, but not to break the clove. He peeled the garlic, throwing the skins into the trashcan that lay hidden in the drawer next to him. He hurried to mince the garlic and put it aside. He chopped the garlic and grated the lemon zest quicker than Will had ever been able to.  


Will looked away as he took inventory of the salad. He grabbed the head of lettuce and took off the outer layers. He cut it in half with the two inch blade. He cut out the core of one and put the other to the side. He began to slice up the cored lettuce and place it in the bowl. He grabbed the spinach and took out a handful of stalks. He took off the leaves. He put them in with the sliced lettuce. He grabbed the bag of walnuts and cut them in half before putting them too in the bowl. He poured a handful of dried cranberries into his hand. He put them in the bowl and put a small amount in his hand. He popped them in his mouth before zipping the bag and putting it with the rest of the food he had already used.  


“I’m going to pretend I didn’t just see that.” Will stopped chewing and swallowed.  


“See what?” They both looked out of the corner of their eyes at each other. A sly smirk on Hannibal’s face while there was an innocent look on Will’s. Will went back to work. He grabbed the blueberries, after washing them, and sprinkled a few into the salad. He grabbed the pomegranate next and cut into the rind. Digging his fingers in, he carefully pulled apart the skin. The glistening jewels beneath lay hidden in the white film. ‘Diamond in the rough’ Will smirked. He brushed the seeds out into the bowl. They added nice color to the green salad. Red juice stained Will’s fingers and he plucked out a few seeds for his own enjoyment. Before he could place them in his mouth, a hand was around his wrist. Will looked at it. The hand turned his wrist and ere he objects the seeds were being delicately plucked out of his hand with ivory teeth. Will’s breath hitched and he had a hard time remembering to do something.  


Do what?  


Breath.  


Each breath was like sidelines on a road. Ragged and hiccup, but consistent. Once all the seeds had been nipped from between his thumb and index finger did Hannibal remove his mouth, but it was only long enough to swallow before licking Will’s fingers clean of juice.  


Do what?  


Breath.  


Hannibal clipped the pad of Will’s thumb. An electrical bolt shot from his thumb to his groin.  


Do what?  


Will gasped and Hannibal let go of his wrist.  


Do –  


Will moved lightening fast to pin Hannibal to the counter. Front’s to each other, Will took a deep breath. With a hand on each side of Hannibal’s hips, there wasn’t far he could go. Will wasted no time in pressing himself forward and closing the distance. He pressed his lips firmly to Hannibal’s. He was rewarded with a slight growl that he could feel all the way to his growing erection. Will pressed his tongue to Hannibal’s bottom lip and begged for entrance. Only when Hannibal’s hands were in Will’s hair did he oblige. Will shot his tongue out and could taste the sweet nectar of the pomegranate. He couldn’t recall a time when he liked pomegranate better. He ran his tongue along the roof of Hannibal’s mouth and a soft moan could be heard from the older man’s throat. Will counted it as a victory. He felt a slight pain on his scalp and he realized that Hannibal had dug his nails in slightly. Will carefully moved his leg between Hannibal’s and rubbed his hips into the other man’s. Their elicit moans filled the kitchen. Will broke away to get air and looked briefly at Hannibal’s eyes. The dilated pupils and darkened eyes made Will groan. Will ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth and he could only faintly taste the pomegranate. He thought the taste of Hannibal was much better anyways.  


Do what?  


Breath.  


Will released Hannibal much like he had done earlier in the office. Will went back to working on the salad. He grabbed a nearby damp towel and wiped his hands. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hannibal still trying to regain his composure. Will could not express the intense pride that swelled in him when he saw the doctor so unraveled. Will grabbed the metal salad tongs that had been put there at some point and tossed the salad together. He looked at the greenery and smirked.

“This is my design.” Will gave a little laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So does that work. I am so so so so sorry it's so late, but I made it up didn't I. Trust me much better to come. I'm sorry if the layout looks weird, AO3 isn't copying the layout right.


	4. Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are said. Things are done. Now we're too far to go back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever wonder about what he's doing?  
> How it all turned to lies?  
> Sometimes I think that it's better to never ask why
> 
> Where there is desire  
> There is gonna be a flame  
> Where there is a flame  
> Someone's bound to get burned  
> But just because it burns  
> Doesn't mean you're gonna die  
> You've gotta get up and try, and try, and try

Dinner was quiet except for the scrape of silverware on plates. Will thought he did well with the salad. He bit into a dried cranberry and the tart flavor filled his mouth. He blinked. Every now and then he would shoot a glance over at Hannibal, but hurry to look away, hiding his darkened glances. Once he was done looking he would feel eyes on him and knew Hannibal was doing the same. Will ate at a moderate pace, but was done before Hannibal. Will stood up with his plate and after a few seconds Hannibal moved to join him, but Will grabbed his plate and walked into the kitchen. Hannibal got up and walked across the hallway to the living room. He put in Tchaikovsky. Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 36 soothingly played from the speakers.

Will listened to the violin’s play through the house and to his ears. He closed his eyes for a moment as he listened to the symphony. He scraped the uneatable parts of the dinner into the trash and gave the dishes a quick rinse before putting them in the dishwasher. Will felt a pacifying halcyon wash over him as he heard the music play on.

Hannibal walked soundlessly back into the kitchen. He sat watching Will for a moment. He dabbled in the universe where he would come home and Will would be here expecting his tales of the day and waiting patiently for dinner. Of course Will would know. Somewhere deep inside of him, Will has always known. That’s why his body fights itself. It’s caught between reality and acceptance. Hannibal took a deep breath; he could smell the lingering taste of dinner, the floral smell of the dish soap, the sweet heat from Will, and the faint smell of arousal. Hannibal lingered in the reality of Will as a confidant, partner, maybe even lover, and in the long term, someone to hunt with. Hannibal closed his eyes for a moment before readdressing the reality at hand. He walked towards Will as Will turned his back on the psychiatrist.

Will could faintly hear the muffled footsteps as he got closer. Will shut the door to the dishwasher and turned around. He put his hands behind him on the counter and looked at Hannibal. He had set his glasses somewhere in the house, or he thought, he wasn’t sure anymore, so he couldn’t hide behind them to avoid Hannibal’s penetrating gaze. Will was going to look up when he felt a buzzing in his back pocket. It didn’t register immediately and he stared at Hannibal’s chest for a moment before his cell phone rang three times. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID.

“Should I answer it?” Jack was on the other line and if he counted right he would have four more rings before it went to voicemail and Jack came to find him.

“I cannot answer it.” Will slid his thumb across the screen and put the phone on speaker.

“God dammit, Will, you had me worried.” Jack’s static voice erupted from the speaker. “We caught the guy, but something happened.” Will felt dread fill his heart. “It’s the wrong guy.” Will rubbed a hand on his face.

“So you got the guy, but it’s the wrong guy?” There was silence on the other line. “The guy has a twin?” More static.

“We ran the second guy’s finger prints.” Will leaned back on the counter. “The second guy’s name is Cassin Goa.”

“Reconstruction.”

“About six months ago a large sum was put into his bank account.”

“How large?”

“Large enough to buy a total face reconstruction. The next day it was taken out.”   

“Someone works fast. Did he use cash or a card?” Will looked briefly at Hannibal, who had moved to get the dessert onto plates. Will could smell apples and wondered briefly if he had made something as humble as apple pie.

“Card.” Will closed his eyes and sighed.

“Maybe the plastic surgeon might know something.”

“If the dead could talk.” Will looked at the screen.

“Dr. Trace Grack.” Will rubbed his face. “What have we got out of Goa?”

“Not much, he refuses to talk.” Will wanted to hang up. He wanted to quit. He wanted to be normal.

 _Want_ not _need_.

“Do you want me to come in?” He looked up at Hannibal as he asked Jack and saw the light brown crust of the pie and the cinnamon speckled apples ooze in perfect harmony with the ice cream on the plate. Hannibal drizzled something on the top of the plate. Will had the image of Hannibal making ice cream fill his mind.

“Tomorrow, Will.” Dial tone followed the command. Will walked over to the island and put his elbows on the cool top. He watched as Hannibal’s hands moved around the small counter top addressing the food in front of him. Will put his phone away. He took a deep breath of the scents and he swallowed to keep the drool from falling out of his mouth. After a few more moments a plate was set in front of him and Will hummed.

“Appearance is everything with you.” Will takes the first bite and the fluffy crust melts in his mouth and the apples were just the right texture.

“Everything is a masterpiece; you just have to know how to present it.” Will took another bite. Will waited until he was almost done with his dessert before answering. Mainly because he didn’t want the answer to leave the apple pie to waste.

“Do you often find yourself making me presentable?” Will dared a glance up as he heard the silverware on the other side of the counter hit the edge of the plate. Hannibal set his utensils down and looked at Will.

“You need no presentation, Will. You are a masterpiece.” Will felt his breath catch in his throat. He looked at Hannibal briefly before looking back at the pie and finishing off the plate in a few hurried bites. He didn’t want to be rude, but there were more pressing matters at hand. He didn’t hear Hannibal walk around the island. He saw the dark colored suit out of the corner of his eye as he swallowed. He could feel the psychiatrist’s eyes on him. The music was faint in Will’s ears over the sound of his blood rushing through his veins.

“I don’t feel like it.” He looks over at the man next to him. “I feel like a blank canvas, and the murderers that I let inside my head are painting my picture.” Will’s shoulders tense as he suppresses the shudder that passes through his body. He closes his eyes and sees the murders and the murderers paint his painting. Violent streaks of red here, black there, brown where the two collide. A morbid masterpiece fit for the one and only Will Graham. After a moment of closed eyes he feels a reassuring hand on his chin, tilting his face up. Before he has a chance to react, warm lips are pressing to his and he can’t do anything besides turn his body towards the source. Will pressed himself achingly close to the source of his passion. He felt his canvas go clean, as if someone painted over it with white, and he could feel his lungs ache for breath. He opened his eyes and pulled away, but stayed close. Will stared at the man in front of him with hooded eyes.

Will watched as Hannibal leaned in close and with each inch closer Will lowered his eyelids. Will could feel the opposite man’s breath on his skin and it made him shiver. Will groaned as Hannibal left a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. Will could feel him move to do it to the other side. “Hannibal.” Will said softly. Will opened his eyes and looked at Hannibal’s. The normally dark brown eyes were flecked with maroon and dilated. “I can’t. I’m too unstable.” He moved to get out of the way, remembering how Alana had put it.

 _Someone like me can’t be with someone like you_.

Hannibal moved his hands to wrap around Will. It made him stop. The arms were warm and reassuring. They didn’t feel like chains, holding him down. “If you are too unstable, then why do you play this game, only to lose?” Will looked down for a moment.

“Maybe it’s easier that way.” He turned his head away from Hannibal and put his hands on his chest. Either to push or pull, Will didn’t know.

“I know you must be thinking of Alana,” Will didn’t want to admit it. “But you must know that I am not the same as she.” Will gave a mirthless chuckle.

“Yea, I know that.” Will said softly.

“Just because it burns doesn’t mean you’re going to die.” Hannibal’s eyes roamed Will’s face. “Can we not try?”  Will looked up from the floor and blinked. He nodded. Hannibal gave Will a soft kiss on the lips before letting go. He grabbed Will’s plate and walked around the island to get his own. “You’ll need your rest. You should go home Will.” Will nodded.

“Okay,” he whispered. Will was going to say more, but the words got stuck in his throat. He turned and left the kitchen. He lingered in the foyer for a moment. His mind raced with the past events, but he couldn’t find the energy to think it over. He grabbed his jacket and left the house.

xXx

Will got back to his house and looked at his dogs. He let them out and sat on the porch steps. He watched as they ran around and played. A playful bark here and there. Winston came up and rubbed his nose into Will’s palm, begging for caress. Will sighed and pets the blonde dog’s head. The bitter bite of fall nipped at Will’s skin and after twenty minutes he let everyone back inside. He stripped off his clothes once he was inside and went to his room. He got into the shower quickly. He was out before the water went cold. He dried himself off and put on only boxers. He hadn’t done laundry and he was out of shirts. He sat down on the bed and dared to attempt sleep.

Sleep without the root was different, almost difficult. You had no control, like you did with the dream root. Will stood in the forest and took deep breaths. He could hear noises around him, voices. He could hear Alana’s; _Someone like me can’t be with someone like you._

_I have a professional curiosity about you._

Hannibal’s; _Can we not try?_

_Just because it burns…_

Will looked around and stumbled on a tree root. He caught himself on the same tree that tripped him. He scrapped his hand on the rough bark.

_Just because it burns…._

He watches as the blood wells and the voices increase in number.

_A unique cocktail of personality disorder and neurosis…_

“Am I?”

_Highly skilled. Doesn’t mean you’re going to die._

“A blank canvas. My own masterpiece.” Will continues to stumble through the woods, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

_Someone like me- Doesn’t mean – Highly skilled. Like mejust because it burnspersonality disorders._

Will felt his right food go cold. _Likemeburndisorders._

_Try._

_Try._

_Can we not?_

_Try._

_Try._

Will woke up sweating and heart racing. He looked around and saw light in his room. He took labored breaths as he stood up. He hurried to the bathroom. He retched in the sink. Nothing came up. Pain stabbed his stomach. He was hungry. He looked at his right foot and saw he had no sock on. He sat down on the floor and the cool linoleum felt good on his heated skin. He could hear his cell phone ringing on his table. He put his head to the floor and sighed. His phone vibrated then fell off the nightstand. It hit the floor and buzzed one last time before going to voicemail.

He bet it was Jack.

It was always Jack.

His phone began to ring again. He lifted his head and looked over as the dogs began to sniff it. He groaned and crawled over to it. He answered and waited for the yelling.

“Will.” It wasn’t Jack.

“Hmm.” He managed. His mind still raced with his dream.

“Oh thank god. Goa is dead.” Will blew out air from his lungs. “Looks like suicide, but we need you to come down and check.”

“Why didn’t Jack call me?” Alana was silent on the other side of the line. “He’s angry at me.”

“More or less.”

“I’ll be there soon.” Will hung up. _Someone like me…._ He stood up and got dressed. He skipped breakfast, opting for a coffee from a gas station half way there. He tried to rub the sleep from his eyes as he walked to the morgue. Beverly, Jack, Alana, and Price were staring at the dead body of Goa. Will threw away the coffee he had. Alana looked over. Jack glared at the corpse.

“We found him hanging by his shoe laces in the containment cell.” Will walked to stand a few feet behind Alana and Jack. They moved, so he could see. “But when we took off the laces, finger prints could be seen on Goa’s neck.”

“Don’t we have camera footage?” Will popped two Advil’s. They all looked between one another.

“The cameras went down; by the time they came back up he was dead.” Price looked at something on Goa’s neck.

“What about all the other cameras? Someone had to have seen him.”

“The guard on station refuses to talk.” Will rubbed his fingers against his palm on his right hand.

“Are you searching the cell?” Jack turned on him.

“What do you think, Graham?” He snapped. Will took a step back. Alana put a hand on Jack’s arm.

“Jack.” Jack shrugged off Alana’s arm and stalked out, brushing Will as he did so. Will cringed as if he had been hit. Will looked at the ground. “Will, he’s just stressed.” Will shrugged.

“Yea, okay.” Will listened as Beverly and Price explained the crime scene. They had to move him because to leave him there was upsetting. Will saw Alana leave. She stopped next to him. He didn’t acknowledge her. She left and soon Zeller showed up. Will tried to focus on what was going on in front of him but his mind betrayed him. Will crossed his arms and looked at Goa. “He’s getting sloppy.” They looked over at him. “He’s scared we’ll catch him. The only problem is by doing this he slipped up even farther. His next kill, he’ll slip up. He’ll do something and it will give himself away.”

“So you want us to wait until someone else dies?” Zeller asked.

“You got a better idea?” Will asked softly. He didn’t have the energy to fight. They sat silent. Will grabbed his broken glasses as he walked out and put them in his pocket. He had to see the optometrist.

xXx

Will looked in his cupboards for something to eat. Figures. He has food and he’s not hungry, but when he’s hungry he has no food. He puffs air out of his lungs and shakes his head. He looks in the fridge one last time. Same as five minutes ago. Will heard the dogs start to bark and he shut the fridge door. He looked out the window to see a familiar car. He walks out onto the porch. He watches them walk up the driveway as a cool wind whips around the trees. The smell of food is enough to make Will’s mouth water.

“How’d you know I’d be home?” Will said once they stepped up on the porch.

“I stopped by the Bureau to see a very angry Jack, and tense Alana who said you might be home.” Will nods and lets Hannibal into the old farmhouse. He whistles the dogs in as well. They all gather in and lay down on their beds by the fireplace. Will thinks of putting wood in and lighting it, but he hadn’t gotten it fixed since….He turns to the table and sits down. Hannibal sets the Tupperware down in front of Will.

“How did you know to bring food?” Will didn’t object as he reached for his fork.

“I figured you wouldn’t eat all day. It’s a common occurrence with you.” Will sniffed and ate a bite. Hannibal watched for a moment before he too began to eat.

“Guess I’m not very spontaneous.” He stared at the empty space of table between them.

“You have your moments.” Hannibal looked up with a smirk. Will tried to hide the blush that blossomed on his face. It didn’t quite work. “I assume something went array with Mr. Goa.” Hannibal took a bite.

“Just a bit.” Will leaned back in his chair. “Goa’s dead.” Hannibal didn’t seem to be fazed at all. He continued to eat.

“Just a bit.” Hannibal said after he swallowed.

“It does put a rift in the investigation doesn’t it?” Hannibal didn’t speak. Will nods and finishes up his lunch. “I might go back to the Bureau and see if they got anything from Goa’s cell.”

“Do you really think that the killer will slip up this next time?” Will tapped the fork on the empty bowl.

“I’m pretty sure. And apparently that’s enough for Jack.” Will shrugs.

“Is that enough for you?” Will is silent. Hannibal thinks he won’t answer. He gets up and gathers the dishes. As he reaches for Will’s dish, Will catches Hannibal’s wrist in a vice like grasp. Will moves his hand after a few moments. It trails down Hannibal’s wrist and he latches his fingers onto the other man’s. The way a child might hold a hand. Hannibal squeezes his hand in reassurance. Will looks up with a watery smile. He let’s go of Hannibal’s hand, so he can pack up his stuff. Will stands up and looks out the window. “You seem distracted, Will.” Will didn’t look over at Hannibal sat down in the chair Will was previously occupying.

“I feel lost. I need a light to guide me home.” He turns now. He looks at Hannibal with a piercing gaze.

“Am I the light or am I the home.” Hannibal asks.

“I don’t care as long as you’re with me.” Will says honestly. _And you with me,_ Hannibal thinks. At some point he has to know. He must know. No, he must accept it. He knows he just has to accept it. Hannibal hopes that he won’t have to kill him. He would hate that burden on his mind. He had no connections with the others, but Will…..Will is his. Will moves from the window to the door. He lets his dogs out and sighs. He rubs his face as he walks over to Hannibal. “You wouldn’t happen to carry that tea around with you all the time?” Will attempted a smile. It looked more like a grimace.

“Are you having problems sleeping, Will?” He doesn’t answer. Hannibal takes it as a yes. “I would not prescribe the tea for every time you cannot sleep. It is hard to gage time and you could easily sleep yourself into a coma.” Will nods.

“I remember.” He cringes. “You owe me glasses.” Will digs in his pocket for the broken frames.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hannibal tried as Will inspected the frames.

“The glasses?” Hannibal was silent. “The glasses would be easier, but I don’t pay you to listen to me.”

“You don’t pay me.” Will smirked with a soft snort.

“Right.” Will put the glasses on the table as he walked past it. “Does that mean you don’t listen?” Will sat down on the chair.

“On the contrary.” Will shivered as he put his fingers together in front of him.

“Did you just say ‘contrary’?” Hannibal gave a smirk.

“I don’t believe I stuttered.” Will looked past his fingers.

“Say it again.” Hannibal stood up and Will was worried he offended him for a moment. He walked over until he was standing in front of Will.

“I have an appointment at 5 o’ clock.”

“It’s 3:15.” Hannibal leaned into Will’s space.

“Dinner?”

“Delightful.” Hannibal put his hands on the arms of the chair.

“My house.”

“My favorite.”

“6:00.”

“I’m free.”

“I invited Jack.”

“I’m busy.”

“Dinner will be good. You’re both stressed; a good meal will do you well.” He closed the distance and gave Will a quick kiss. Will hurried to wrap his right hand around the nape of the doctor’s neck and bring him in for a longer kiss. Hannibal pulled away before anything could get too heated.

“Only if I get more of those.”

“It’s 3:20.”

“Jack mustn’t know though.”

“I’m going to be late.” Will looked at Hannibal and pecked his lips before letting go. Will watched as Hannibal gathered his items and left. Will waited until the car was completely out of sight before going upstairs. He pulled off the sheets, layer by layer. After that was done he shook out the sheets, one by one.

No sock.

He looked around the room. It wasn’t there. He looked under his bed.

Dust bunnies.

No sock.

Will pushed the sock to the edge of his conscious. He had other things to worry about than a missing sock. He gathered up the sheets and began a load of wash. He grabbed the dial and pushed it to the right time……

…..and he was on a trail. The dogs were around him, barking happily. He had a tackle box in hand and a pole in the other. Three fish were dangling from a line. He looked around with rapid breaths. The dogs stopped as Will did and they stayed nearby. Will set down everything in a jumbled heap and looked at the time. 4:45. He left everything and ran home. His dogs followed, their barks warning now. He ran inside, forgetting to shut the door and looking at the washer. He had the bed spread in a basket. He sniffed it. Clean. He looked in the washer. It was full of suds and the fitted. He opened the drier. Flat and pillow cases. He took ragged breaths as he looked around.

He tried to catch his breath as he walked up to his room. He should call Hannibal. 4:56. Still in a session. He can’t call Jack.

Alana.

He pulled out his phone and dialed her number.

She answered after the second ring.

“Will, what’s wrong.” He didn’t want to dwell on that statement.

“I need you to come meet me.” She took a sharp breath.

“Where?”

“The coffee shop you love in Baltimore.”

“When?”

“An hour.”

“Will, are you okay?” He didn’t answer. He hung up. He looked at the time. 5:00. He dialed Hannibal’s number. It rang to voicemail. He left a message saying he was going to be a little late and to proceed without him. Will looked at his clothes. They were muddy and smelt of river water. He changed in a hurry. He left his dogs inside and hopped in his car. He drove to Baltimore. The world was a blur in his eyes as he arrived at Alana’s favorite coffee shop. She was there at her table. When she saw him she stood up. Fear and worry dominating her expression. He didn’t speak until they were both sitting.

“I lost time.”

“Shouldn’t you tell Hannibal?” She reached out to hold onto her coffee.

“I don’t want him to worry.” Will rubbed his face. He didn’t see Alana tense in front of him. “I was washing my sheets. I turned the dial and I woke up on the trail to the river by my house.”

“What time did you wake up?”

“4:45. I went out at 3:30ish.” Alana blinked.

“Have you lost time before?” He shook his head. He cursed himself for forgetting to take his bottle of Advil. His head hurt and he didn’t want to be worse than necessary for Hannibal. She was silent after that. “It could be nothing.”

“I have a feeling it isn’t.” He watched the steam from the coffee.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?” He shook his head once. She huffed. “Do you think it’s psychological?” He didn’t want to answer. He looked at the time. 6:10.

“I better go. I’ll miss dinner.” He stood up and left without a glance back. He managed to get to his car and to Hannibal’s in a reasonable amount of time. He didn’t know whether to knock or not, but when he felt the door knob it was unlocked. He opened it and walked in. He shut it quietly not to disturb the houseguests. He walked around the corners he knew to take and shuffled into the dining room. He didn’t see anyone so he dared a look into the kitchen.

Hannibal stood in his apron above the stove. He moved the pan to avoid getting burned. Will walked in and stood in the middle of the room. Hannibal looked up from his cooking.

“No Jack?” Will hoped he said no.

“No, they found something during their sweep.” Will felt joy in the small victory.

“Apparently it wasn’t big enough to call me.” He hid his joy in that small statement. He moved closer to the counter and sat down at one of the chairs nearby.

“Care to say why you’re late?” He didn’t sound upset, but then again he was always calm and open. Will felt bad about what he did next.

“One of the dogs hurt itself and I had to make sure that it was alright.” He bit his tongue to refrain from saying anything else that was too stupid. Hannibal didn’t say anything as he continued to cook.

“Will, I just want to let you know,” He flipped something in the pan. Will watched as the fire rose no higher than an inch above the pan. “I know when you’re lying.” Will looked away, ashamed. At being caught or being told that he couldn’t lie to Hannibal, he didn’t know. He didn’t ask any more questions and Will didn’t take back his previous lie.

“What are we having?” Hannibal looked over as he set the fire on low and covered the pan.  “You surprised me yesterday with the apple pie. It’s a bit homely for your tastes.” Will rolled up his sleeves wanting to relieve the tension. He walked around the counter, but before he could get past the stove there was a wall. Will took a step back. “You don’t want me to help?”

“I appreciate it, but you look exhausted. Rest.” He put his hands on Will’s biceps. He could feel the tense muscles beneath. Will looked at him for a long moment before nodding.

“Alright.” He walked back over to the chair. He sat down and watched Hannibal finish with the meal.

“Did you end up going back to the Bureau?” Will shook his head.

“No, I stayed home. There was nothing they wanted of me there, I guess.” He looked off to the side.

“Before, you were saying you needed a rest, maybe this is what Jack is giving you. A time to rest. You should take advantage of it.” Will nods without enthusiasm. He fiddles with his glasses. He doesn’t look back at Hannibal.

“Should I go with black, or tortoiseshell?” He pulls out his glasses. They were worse than when they broke because he hadn’t been into the optometrist. Secretly he dreaded the idea.

“Whatever you would like.” Will looks over at him.

“Sometimes making a decision with you is difficult.” Hannibal smirks.

“I’ll take you tomorrow if you wish.” Will shook his head looking back at his glasses.

“I was mostly kidding about you owing me. I can get new ones.” He puts his old ones in his shirt pocket and puts his hands on the table. The sound of cupboards opening took Will out of his reminiscence. “Do you need help?” He didn’t normally, but sitting idle was not Will’s ideal. He stood up as Hannibal put the plates on the counter to be prepared. He walked around the counter and stood behind Hannibal. He wrapped his arms around the older man’s waist as he presses him close to his front. He sets his head on the other man’s shoulder and watches him set up the plates.

“It’s hard to move with you on my like this.” Will smirks and turns his head to kiss Hannibal’s jaw, where it curves up to meet his ear. Will splayed out his hands on the man’s stomach. His fingers dug through all of the layers of clothes and managed to get to the shirt. He fiddled with the buttons on the bottom most of the shirt. Will could feel the muscles coil and uncoil as Hannibal moved around to get food arranged on the plate. He moved his head until his forehead was pressed to the nape of Hannibal’s neck. He could see the hairs on Hannibal’s neck rise as Will breathed. He smirked and flicked the button in his hand. Hannibal tensed and Will moved his hand lower to tease the button of his well tailored pants. Hannibal’s reached down and grabbed Will’s hand. “You’re insatiable tonight.” Will hummed.

“It’s been a long day.” Will didn’t have any hidden context behind the saying, but he could feel heat pool in his chest. He felt giddy and he couldn’t explain it. He looked over at the far side of the counter. “Is that for me?” He let go of Hannibal and reached for the wine glass. He took it and removed himself from Hannibal and took a sip of wine. He walked around the counter and watched as Hannibal gathered up the plates.

“Shall we eat?” Will grabbed his glass as well and they walked out, Will in front of Hannibal. Will set Hannibal’s glass where he normally sat, at the head of the table. Will set his glass to Hannibal’s right. He soon sat down as Hannibal put the food in front of him. Will waited until Hannibal sat down before he began to eat. They ate in silence. Comfortable as Will looked out the glass door behind Hannibal. He took a sip of wine to find it empty. He looked down into the glass and wondered where it went. He set it down and looked back out the back door. “More wine?” Will nodded as he took a bite of the food. He looked forward again at the wine being poured into his glass. He gazed down at his plate. He had a few bites left. He finished them off and stood up with his glass of wine. He could feel the alcohol working its way through his veins and he looked down at Hannibal. He walked over to the door and opened it. He stepped outside, leaving it open half an inch. The bitter cold stung his skin, but he walked over to the railing anyways. He leaned on it with his elbows, wine glass dangling precariously between his fingers into the yard.

He looked around at the setting sun and the yard beyond. He glanced at the houses around him and noticed; all the walls that were facing in the yard had no windows. He wondered if Hannibal had done that specifically or it was just a chance coincidence. The fence around the yard looked to be of good quality and about six feet tall. He took a sip of wine as he heard the sliding glass door open. He didn’t turn around when it closed. He didn’t turn around when he heard the floor board creaked behind him. He didn’t turn when he felt heat wrap around his midsection and seep through his side. He took another sip of his wine and gazed out into the sky, stars now visible to the naked eye. They twinkled in the twilight that descended on Baltimore. There was an old willow hanging low to the far left of the yard. Its branches were thick and the vines reached down, nearly touching the grass beyond. He could see the last rays of sunlight leak through the leaves and he pressed closer to Hannibal. The sun dipped below the horizon and the fighting rays lasted for a minute or so longer before darkness descended. The temperature dropped what seemed like ten degrees. Will shivered once.

“So many clothes, never cold.” Will said in a small voice. He looked into his glass and finished the small portion of wine that was left. Hannibal’s fingers began to move on his stomach and he wondered if it was a subconscious decision to do that. There was no remark to Will’s statement. Either he didn’t hear it or he ignored it. Will finally turned. He leaned his hip on the railing. He moved so that Hannibal’s arm was still wrapped around him. “Come on, let’s go inside.” Will put the glass between his middle and ring finger, setting the bell lay in his palm. He grabbed Hannibal’s hand and slipped his fingers between the older man’s. He tugged softly and soon Hannibal followed. Will hadn’t realized how cold he was until the stifling heat from the fire place hit his body. It felt good. He didn’t let go of Hannibal’s hand once they were inside. He waited until Hannibal shut the back door before moving in.

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s cheek and pulled him in for quick kiss. Hannibal held him close and deepened the kiss. Will hummed and ran his free hand over the suited body in front of him. He broke away and leaned in to Hannibal’s ear. “Seeing you, at least once, without the monkey suit would be nice,” Will nipped Hannibal’s ear. “You think?” Will leaned back to see Hannibal’s face. His normally maroon eyes dark with unleashed control. Will shivered with delight. He ground his hips into Hannibal’s, looking for that savory friction he needed. Will leaned in again and laid slow kisses along Hannibal’s neck. Hannibal made a noise deep in his throat and his hand that wasn’t intertwined with Will’s reached up and grabbed the back of Will’s head. Will groaned and looked at Hannibal with veiled eyes.

“If you keep that up neither of us will make it to the bedroom.” Will moaned and pressed himself closer to the body in front of him. Will felt oddly alright with that, but he knew Hannibal wouldn’t. Someone who was perceived with so much class would hate to only make it to the stairs.

Will tried to get out of his grip to taste him once again, but Hannibal didn’t let him go. His nails pressed slightly into Will’s skull. Will writhed under his touch. “Please.” He moaned.

“Please what?” Will panted as he involuntarily thrust against Hannibal. He could feel the sticky wetness of pre-cum against his leg.

“Ha – Hannibal.” He tried. He closed his eyes as Hannibal only dug his finger nails deeper into Will’s flesh.

“Yes, Will?” He leaned in closer to Will’s exposed neck and traced his tongue along his Adam’s apple. He worked his way up to Will’s jaw, leaving little nips and bites. Will’s voice made a broken sound, something he wasn’t proud of. He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks in embarrassment. Will’s free hand moved to tug at Hannibal’s tie.

“You’re a bastard you know that?” Will whispered hoarsely into Hannibal’s ear. Hannibal let Will’s head go and instead wrapped his hand around Will’s neck. Adrenaline coursed through Will’s veins and the small part of his mind that was yelling at him that he should be scared was drowned out by the voice crying out in delight. Hannibal squeezed the hand on Will’s neck slightly and Will groaned. He stared into Hannibal’s eyes as Hannibal had his hand on Will’s neck.

“Be careful with that tongue of yours, Will.” Hannibal’s hand gave one last soft clench before letting go. Will dived forward and pulled Hannibal in for a hungry kiss. Tongue and teeth clashed as Will tangled his fingers into Hannibal’s hair. There was the movement of feet and the slide of hands over Will’s body. Time was disjointed and crystal clear at the same time. Will felt something against his back and he realized it was the wall. He resisted the urge to wrap his legs around Hannibal; he knew it would only be harder for them to get to the bedroom. Will felt the cool touch of Hannibal’s hands slide around on his body. Will pulled back, but only enough to get air. Saliva was still connected to both man’s lips, tinged with red. Will swirled his tongue around in his mouth, he could taste the blood. He groaned and the thought of it sent and electric pulse straight to his cock. He hated to admit that it was a turn on for him.

“Ha – Hanni –“ He yelped as Hannibal teased the tented fabric over Will’s erection. He put his forehead on Hannibal’s chin and ground his hips into Hannibal’s hand. “Ah, _god_.”

“Careful, you’ll give me a complex.” He could tell he was kidding, but Will could also hear the slight break in his voice every time Will ground deeper into his hand. Hannibal removed his hand and Will mewled at the loss of contact. Will removed his forehead from Hannibal’s chin and moved to bite and nip at his neck. With their left hands still connected Will had a limited amount of use for his right hand. What would have normally taken a minute took another five to unbutton Hannibal’s shirt. On the last one’s he ripped at them to get them open and was satisfied to hear the soft sound of buttons hit the floor. He knew he would pay for it later, but he didn’t have the audacity to care. He pushed off the shirt, but was conflicted when he got to his conjoined hands. Will leaned back to look Hannibal in the eye. His maroon eyes glinted in the firelight and made Will want to squirm. Hannibal gave an almost invisible nod, squeezing Will’s hand tightly, once, before letting go and removing the rest of his shirt. Will proceeded to remove his shirt as well. Will could see the disapproving look Hannibal was shooting at the mess, but a quick nip to his chest brought his attention to the task at hand. Will looked up from under his eyelashes at Hannibal and grabbed his hand again. He tugged and removed himself from the other man. Will pulled Hannibal with him out of the dining room. Will liked the feeling of taking control, it helped him feel grounded. Will stopped at the stairs, not knowing which way to go. He waited for further instruction from Hannibal. A sharp nip on his right shoulder told him where to go. He went up the stairs and to the right. The hallway was dark and Will waited a moment before trudging forwards to the door all the way down the hall.

Before he could open the door he was turned around and thrust against the wall. Will moaned wantonly as he ground his hips into Hannibal’s. This time Will did wrap his legs around Hannibal’s waist. Will shivered at the new sparks the position sent to his painfully hard erection. Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck and tangled his hands into his hair. “Han – ah!” Hannibal moved one hand to grab his ass and the other to cup him through his boxers. Will grasped and scratched at Hannibal’s hair. “You selfish bastard, _fuck_ you.” Will gasped as Hannibal thrust once, roughly, into Will. His back hit the door and he was sure that he put a dent into it. Hannibal leaned into Will’s ear, his breath hot against Will’s skin.

“What did I tell you about that tongue of yours, Will?” Will whimpered and panted against Hannibal. He cradled Hannibal’s head in his hand and pulled him closer, so he could nip at his earlobe. His mouth moved to just below his ear and he nipped and sucked until Hannibal made a low grumbling sound that Will could feel against his lips. He pulled away and he looked at the dark purplish, blue bruise already beginning to form. _Good luck hiding that one Dr. Lecter,_ Will smirked at his internal dialogue. Will felt the door fall away behind him and he clutched to Hannibal. He was afraid he would be too much of a burden, but Hannibal seemed to carry him just fine. He threw him unceremoniously down on the bed and Will bounced once before laying still. His legs bent on the edge of the bed, spread about a foot and a half apart. His pants were around his thighs and his underwear was trying, badly, to cover his hard on. His lips were swollen from kisses and a small drabble of saliva and blood mixture was dripping at the side of his mouth. His torso bare except for the small scrapes and bites from Hannibal. He looked beautiful.

Will looked at Hannibal with glazed over eyes. His flaxen hair was mussed and falling into his eyes. His pouty lips were red and looking kissable. His maroon eyes were sparked with lust and staring at Will with hunger that made Will’s cock twitch. His slacks were falling low on his hips and the only thing keeping the pair from moving was the disarray that Hannibal was in. Will was getting tired of the waiting and he thrust slowly into the air to antagonize Hannibal. He bit his lip and groaned as he gyrated his hips where Hannibal should be. Something clicked and Hannibal took long strides to close the distance. He grabbed Will’s legs and wrapped them around his waist, taking the empath’s pants off as he did so. Will was left in his boxers as he continued to grind into Hannibal. The movements sent shocks of pleasure straight to Will’s groin and he groaned at the connection. Will’s hands reached up to finish taking Hannibal’s pants and boxers off. He stepped out of them and moved to hover over Will. Carefully Hannibal hooked his fingers into Will’s boxers and removed them one leg at a time. Hannibal left for a moment and Will gasped as the cool air hit his exposed skin. His hand moved to grasp his hard member and slowly pumped once, twice, his hand slick with pre-cum. Hannibal returned and a look of disapproval written blatant on his face. Hannibal wrapped his thumb and middle finger around Will’s wrist. He detached the man’s hand and replaced his own. Will sighed as his slightly callused hand began to palm him up and down.

“Will?” He moaned in reply. Will could hear Hannibal’s voice slightly restrained. Will closed his eyes and Hannibal’s thumb flicked over the tip of his cock. He thrust his hips into Hannibal’s hand. Will could feel Hannibal’s breath close to his erection. After a few seconds Will felt the doctor’s mouth close around him. Will gasped and grabbed at the sheets as he resisted the urge to thrust into Hannibal’s mouth. Will’s eyes were still closed. “Will, open your eyes. Watch me.” Hannibal demanded as he removed himself from Will. Will moaned, but didn’t do as the doctor had asked. Hannibal leaned down and bites down on Will’s hip bone. Will’s eyes shot open. He looked at Hannibal as he laved his tongue over the sore spot. Hannibal lifted his head from the mark that matched the one on his neck. Will made sure his eyes didn’t wander from Hannibal’s as he took Will into his mouth again. Hannibal’s hair fell in his eyes as he looked at Will and bobbed his head up and down. As Will could feel the coil of his orgasm in the pit of his stomach, Hannibal removed himself and Will closed his eyes and smacked his head on the bed.

“Goddammit, Hannibal.” Will felt another bite on his opposite hip. He screamed out this time, from the budding orgasm and the shock of the pain. He lurched forward and panted.

“You’ll learn, Will.” Will moaned in pain as Hannibal put a palm on his chest, pressing him down, back on the bed. Will cinched his eyes shut as his mind tried to cope with the pain and the pleasure. Will heard a pop noise and cool fingers tease his entrance. He turned his head to breath into the rumpled sheets around him. He gathered a handful of the soft fabric as Hannibal continued to tease Will. Hannibal’s other hand was on Will’s hip, keeping him in place. First only a knuckle, the feeling was foreign, but not unwelcomed.

“I’ll learn when you decide to _fuck me_.” He spat between pants. The tight coil in his stomach was making it hard to focus, but he vaguely recognized that Hannibal was biting hips. Will’s mouth was open in a silent scream, his eyes cinched shut. Will’s hands moved to reach for something. He grabbed onto Hannibal’s hair and dug his nails in. He felt Hannibal growl against him and his hips jumped at the vibrations. “ _Please, Hannibal. Ah!”_ Finally Will felt him insert another finger and push farther, curling his fingers deep inside Will making his body scream with the over stimulation. Will thrust his hips to meet Hannibal’s skilled fingers. His clear mind, ready to pick out abnormalities in a split second, was sluggish and sloppy. The only thing he could focus on was the impeding climax that was making him burst at the seams. At the sudden loss of contact from Hannibal made Will groan.

“Will.” Hannibal’s usually composed voice was rough and his accent thick. Will looked at Hannibal and let his hands drop from his hair. His nails came back slightly tinged with blood. Hannibal lifted his head from Will’s hips – which were covered in small bite marks, red and angry – and leaned over Will. Will watched him through his lust filled eyes. He dove in for a hungry kiss, smothering Will’s mouth with his. Tongue mapping out Will’s mouth with a furious intent. Distracted by the searing kiss, Hannibal snapped his hips into Will, making him scream into the doctor’s mouth. Hannibal took every last note as he continued to pound his hips into Will. He tilted his hips just slightly to hit the younger man’s prostate. Will moaned as they broke apart for air. Will looked Hannibal in the eye. He hadn’t realized he wasn’t the only one losing control. Occasionally his rhythm would falter and it would increase speed before regaining composure.

Will watched as Hannibal would close his eyes as Will’s hands moved to his back and dug his nails in. He knew there would be violently scratch marks, but he couldn’t give an ounce of care. Will reached up and kissed Hannibal slowly, but passionately. As Will bit down on Hannibal’s lower lip the orgasm he was holding back rocketed through him and made him arch his back as his body clenched around Hannibal. Hannibal soon followed with a strained cry in Will’s mouth. Will continued to move as he milked Hannibal of his orgasm. Both of them were slumped against each other, panting until their breaths mingled together in a steady rhythm. Once they were able to see beyond the fog of climax, Hannibal removed himself from Will on half steady legs. Will looked at Hannibal’s torso, covered in his semen and sweat. He realized he must look the same. He closed his eyes and he heard Hannibal walk away. He was back with a cool, damp cloth and began to wipe Will down, cleaning away the evidence. Hannibal tossed the rag in the direction of the bathroom. Will moved back to the headboard. As soon as he felt the pillows with his bare back he felt sleep pull at his eyes. Hannibal reached down and tossed Will his underwear.

Will caught them easily, slipping them on. He waited until Hannibal moved over to the side of the bed before closing his eyes. “Good night, Will.” Will nodded, but didn’t feel the bed dip in indicating he was joining. He opened his eyes as the other man was walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” Will said sleepily. Hannibal looked back with a stoic expression. “It would be a shame to have all this empty space remain empty.” Hannibal gave a small smirk, one Will thought he returned. He walked back over to the bed and slipped into the covers, Will soon joined. Will moved until his back was pressed against Hannibal’s front. An arm was around him and Will felt solid. He waited until he felt Hannibal move soft circle’s on Will’s stomach. “What will tomorrow be?”

“Thursday.” A sleepy voice replied.

“What will it be to us?” Steady breathing replied to Will’s question. Will looked back over his shoulder to see Hannibal asleep. Will blinked and nodded. “Okay.” He said in a soft voice as he moved his head back and fell into a dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for the late update. I have been blocked and finally I am able to give you this monster of a chapter. Thank god for lemons right?


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